Sofia’s family had owned it for generations.

Vincent, Dominic, and six men reached it at 4:12 a.m.

Clara was supposed to remain at the estate.

She ignored that instruction.

“You’re a caretaker,” Vincent told her when she climbed from the second vehicle.

“My husband died because of that man.”

“This isn’t your world.”

Clara looked at him.

“Neither was burying my husband.”

Vincent had no answer.

They entered the lighthouse.

Dr. Mercer was tied to a chair inside.

Alive.

Bleeding.

Terrified.

Luca stood behind him with a pistol.

“Well,” Luca said.

He looked at Vincent.

“You finally figured it out.”

Vincent’s weapon remained lowered.

“Why drug Matteo?”

Luca shrugged.

“He remembered more than he admitted.”

“He was seven.”

“Children hear things.”

Luca smiled.

“He kept saying there had been a man beside the car before the explosion. Mercer made sure those memories stayed foggy.”

Vincent’s hand tightened around his gun.

“You entered his room.”

“I needed Sofia’s card.”

“For fourteen months?”

“I thought she had hidden it somewhere else. Then your new caretaker repaired that ridiculous bear.”

He glanced toward Clara.

“That made me curious.”

Clara stepped forward.

“You killed Aaron.”

Luca studied her.

“No.”

Clara froze.

Luca smiled.

“I wondered when we’d reach that part.”

Vincent frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Luca looked at Dominic.

“Tell them.”

Everyone turned.

Dominic’s face went pale.

Vincent slowly raised his pistol.

“Dominic?”

The security chief didn’t move.

Clara whispered, “What did you do?”

Dominic looked at her.

“Aaron called me after the explosion.”

Clara’s knees nearly buckled.

“You knew him?”

“He was hurt.”

Her eyes widened.

“He survived?”

“For several hours.”

Clara stopped breathing.

Dominic continued.

“He told me about Luca.”

Clara looked toward Vincent.

“Then why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Dominic’s eyes filled with something Vincent had never seen there before.

Shame.

“Because Aaron also told me Sofia had been planning to give federal investigators everything.”

Vincent understood.

Not just Luca’s operation.

Everything.

Rossi names.

Accounts.

Routes.

Politicians.

Dominic spoke quietly.

“If the evidence had surfaced then, hundreds of people would have gone to prison.”

Clara stared at him.

“What did you do?”

Dominic’s voice broke.

“I made a choice.”

Vincent’s face became stone.

“Aaron was in an ambulance.”

Clara took one trembling step backward.

Dominic continued.

“I redirected it.”

“No.”

“I told the driver to take him to one of our private clinics.”

“No.”

“He died before morning.”

Clara lunged.

Vincent caught her.

“You killed him!”

Dominic did not defend himself.

“I didn’t shoot him.”

“You let him die!”

“Yes.”

Clara struck him across the face.

Dominic accepted it.

She hit him again.

“You let me bury an empty coffin!”

Again.

“You let them call him a murderer!”

Again.

Vincent finally pulled her away.

Clara collapsed against him, sobbing.

And Luca laughed.

“Look at us.”

Everyone turned toward him.

“The mighty Rossi family.”

His eyes glittered.

“You thought I was the monster?”

Vincent aimed directly at his forehead.