Page 76 of Brutal Crown

He pauses, visibly tense for the first time.

“And to earn that… I have to carry out a task.”

“What task?” Dante demands.

“They haven’t specified yet. But I agreed to whatever they require.”

My heart stops. The Elders believe Lia’s child, my child, is Marco’s.

“The journal contained everything,” Marco continues, a hint of pride in his voice.

“Every secret Adriano had uncovered about the Society, the Romanos, the Morettis, and the other founding families. By giving it to them, I eliminated the threat—and positioned myself as their ally.”

My father smiles proudly. “Marco did what needed to be done. That journal could have exposed decades of our operations to the world.”

“You think they won’t find the truth?” Elio asks.

“The truth?” Marco scoffs. “This is the truth. I simply framed it in terms they could accept—and delivered it in the only way they’d listen.”

Dante studies Marco for a long moment. “You’re certain about everything you’ve told them?”

Marco nods without hesitation. “Yes.”

“She’s not just a fling?” Dante’s voice is dangerously even.

“No,” Marco says firmly. “I love her.”

My father taps the armrest once. “Love.” The word sounds foreign in his mouth. “And you claim to be the father of her child?”

“The child won’t be illegitimate if the father is present to claim it,” Marco replies with a slight chuckle, though my father doesn’t crack a smile.

“You want to marry her?”

“I do.”

I almost laugh.

I do.

The same words I’ve been dreading saying to any woman who is not Lia.

My father turns to Olga, who has remained quiet since my revelation. “It may serve us well. We can’t eliminate her anymore, too many people know.”

With a heavy breath, he turns back to Marco. “So be it. You’ll marry her.”

My jaw clenches as Father walks over and places a hand on Marco’s shoulder while looking at me and Elio. “Your brother saved us all. He secured the Society’s trust and protected the Moretti-Romano alliance. The Elders will believe our version of events.”

He addresses Marco directly. “She’ll carry our name, and the past will stay buried where it belongs.”

I bite down on my tongue until I taste blood. I want to scream, to tear the truth from my chest and throw it in their faces. But I can’t. Despite how much I hate it, Marco’s manipulation saved her life. If they discover she’s carrying my child, we’ll face the same fate as Salvo.

A knock at the door interrupts my internal torment. Elio opens it to reveal a young man in a dark suit, one of the Society’s messengers.

“Forgive the intrusion,” the messenger says, bowing slightly. “I have an urgent message for the Romano family.”

He hands Dante an official envelope bearing the Society’s seal. Dante tears it open, his expression shifting from anger to surprise to something resembling relief as he scans the contents.

“What does it say?” Olga asks.