Chapter 7 - The Unbroken Circle
The air inside the basement felt as though it had been completely drained of oxygen.
Victor Moretti stood frozen in the center of the subterranean room, surrounded by six orphaned children, two armed guards, and a thirteen-year-old house assistant who held the keys to his entire ruined past.
"Six children..." Victor breathed out, his eyes sweeping across the room in a dizzying blur. He looked at fourteen-year-old Daniel, twelve-year-old Lucas, the ten-year-old twins Emma and Ava, seven-year-old Mia, and little six-year-old Noah. "They... they are all hers?"
"All six of them," Olivia answered softly, wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her blue cardigan. "Elena raised them alone in this building. When she got sick, she didn't have money for doctors. She didn't have a family. So I took the job at your mansion three months ago—just so I could buy them food, medicine, and heat with the money you paid me."
Victor looked down at his own bare hands—hands that controlled billions of dollars, luxury estates, and international networks—and realized that while he sat in his grand study overlooking Lake Michigan, the woman he had loved and his own flesh and blood had been freezing in a damp basement three miles away.
Daniel stepped forward again, standing beside Olivia and Noah, his dark eyes burning with fierce hatred. "We don't want your money!" Daniel spat out at Victor. "Elena told us about you! She said you were a monster who only cared about your buildings and your power! We stay together! You can't separate us!"
Victor looked at Daniel’s fierce, protective stance, seeing the exact same stubborn, unyielding pride that Elena Russo had carried every day of her life.
"I didn't know..." Victor whispered, his voice cracking as he reached out a hand toward Daniel. "Daniel... I swear to God... I didn't know she was here..."
"It doesn't matter!" Daniel yelled, tears overflowing his eyes. "She's gone! And we don't need you!"
Little Noah looked up at Daniel, then looked at Victor’s pale, grief-stricken face. He slowly let go of Olivia’s hand, taking two small steps toward the tall man in the black suit.
May you like
Noah extended his arms slightly, holding out his threadbare brown teddy bear toward Victor.
"Mommy said..." Noah whispered, his small child’s voice penetrating the heavy anger in the room, "...if the big man ever found us... I was supposed to give you Teddy. She said you gave it to her in Geneva."
