Page 118 of Auctioned Innocence
23
DANTE
The warehouse district is a maze of shadows and rusted metal. Perfect for betrayal. Sofia moves silently beside me, her steps matching mine as we approach the meeting point. The synchronicity of our movements hits me harder than it should.
Alberto waits in the shadows of loading bay four, cigarette smoke curling around his weathered face. My contact looks older than I expected from our brief phone conversations over the years, but his eyes are still sharp as razors.
“The prodigal son,” he rasps in Italian. “And the Renaldi princess. How…interesting.”
“You said you had information.” I keep Sofia slightly behind me, muscle memory even though I know she can handle herself. Something about this man feels familiar in a way I can’t place.
“About many things.” His gaze slides between us. “Your father would be proud, Dante. And horrified.”
I suddenly can’t breathe. “You—you knew my father?”
Alberto’s weathered smile holds secrets. “I was Antonio Moretti’s most trusted informant for fifteen years. You have his eyes, boy.”
The revelation rocks me. All these years, my deepest contact, the man who’s fed me intelligence that’s kept me alive, he knew myfather. Worked with him. The connection I never understood suddenly makes terrible sense.
“The information,” Sofia cuts in, stepping forward, clearly seeing I need a moment to process. “About who’s accessing Renaldi security.”
“So much like your mother,” Alberto says, studying her face. “Direct. Dangerous.” He pulls out a tablet. “See for yourself.”
The screen shows security logs, access records, money transfers. Sofia’s fingers fly over the device, her brilliant mind making connections I’m still processing.
“These timestamps,” she says suddenly. “They match Council meeting dates. Every major security breach happened during?—”
“During official business,” Alberto confirms. “When everyone had legitimate reason to be accessing the systems.”
“Smart,” I growl, forcing myself to focus on the mission despite the revelation about my father. “Using Council credentials to mask individual access.”
“Very smart.” Alberto’s eyes narrow. “But someone got sloppy. After the princess escaped the auction.”
More files appear. Frantic searches, deleted records, desperate attempts to cover tracks.
“Here.” Sofia points to a specific log, then looks up with confusion. “This access point…it’s hardwired into the Council chamber. Could only be used by someone physically present during meetings.”
“Someone high up,” I agree, watching her work. The way her mind pieces things together still amazes me. “Someone with permanent Council access.”
“Someone who’s been to every meeting for the past twenty years,” Alberto adds meaningfully.
Sofia frowns, and I can see her mentally running through possibilities. “I thought it was James,” she says quietly. “Marco’s head of security. The pattern seemed to point to him, but this…”
“Not James,” Alberto says. “Your father’s oldest friend,” he confirms. “The man who helped rebuild the Renaldi empire after your grandfather’s death. Who was there for every major family decision.”
Sofia goes very still. I see the moment realization hits her—not confirmation of a suspicion, but complete, devastating shock.
“No,” she whispers. “It can’t be…”
“Uncle Lorenzo.” The name tastes like poison in my mouth as understanding crashes over me. Lorenzo. Always in the background. Always watching. Always there when decisions were made about the Calabrese situation, about Sofia’s security.
“He…he helped raised me,” Sofia’s voice cracks.
The pieces click together with sickening clarity. Lorenzo buying Sofia that emerald dress for the dinner party. Lorenzo knowing her schedule, her habits, her weaknesses. Lorenzo with access to every family secret, every security protocol.
“Why?” I demand, my hands trembling with fury. The betrayal cuts deeper than I expected. Lorenzo, who bounced Sofia on his knee as a child. Who taught her card tricks and called her his “little treasure.” Who’s been positioning himself to destroy everything she loves.
“Power.” Alberto shrugs. “Money. The usual sins. But mostly? Revenge. Your father chose Marco as heir instead of him. After all his years of service, all his loyalty…”
