Chapter 17 - The FatherSofia confronted her father in a secure location.
He was alive.
Older.
Weaker.
But alive.
She stood in the doorway, unable to speak.
He began crying.
“I wanted to tell you.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“You let me marry into the family that destroyed us.”
“I needed you inside.”
Sofia slapped him.
He accepted it.
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
The word hurt more than denial.
Her father admitted that he had worked with Helena.
He had helped build the financial network.
But he turned against her when he realized innocent people were being destroyed.
“I tried to dismantle it.”
“You failed.”
“Yes.”
“And Leonardo's father?”
“I didn't kill him.”
“Then who did?”
Her father looked toward the window.
“The judge.”
Sofia's breath caught.
“Why?”
“Because Alessandro had evidence that could destroy the entire network.”
“And the second gun?”
“I gave it to the judge.”
Sofia stared.
“You armed the man who killed him.”
Her father nodded.
“I didn't know what he intended.”
She turned away.
For the first time, she understood that justice wasn't about finding one villain.
It was about discovering how many people had chosen cowardice.
Then her father said:
“There is one final secret.”
“What?”
“The judge isn't the mastermind.”
Sofia slowly turned.
“Then who is?”
May you like
Her father whispered:
“Helena's daughter.”
