The Blood-Stained Inheritance

The silence in the room was deafening as Renzo’s thumb pressed harder against Luca’s lip. Luca felt the world shrinking until it was only the two of them—the predator and the porcelain doll.

"I belong to the house, Signor," Luca whispered, his voice cracking. It was the safe answer. The servant’s answer.

Renzo’s expression darkened, a flicker of genuine irritation crossing his aristocratic features. He leaned in until his forehead rested against Luca’s. "Liar," he breathed. "The house is stone and mortar. I am the blood in its veins. If I leave, this place is a tomb. If you belong to the house, you belong to the grave."

He let go abruptly, the sudden loss of contact making Luca stagger. Renzo turned his back, pacing toward the small desk where Luca kept a single framed photo of his mother. Renzo picked it up, his large hand dwarfing the delicate silver frame.

"Your mother was a saint," Renzo said, his tone shifting to a terrifyingly pleasant conversational note. "She served my father with a loyalty that bordered on the divine. But saints have a habit of hiding their sins, don't they?"

Luca’s blood turned to ice. "What do you mean?"

Renzo didn't answer. Instead, he set the photo down face-first. "Get dressed. Something black. We’re going out."

"It’s three in the morning, Signor—"

"Now, Luca."

Ten minutes later, Luca was ushered into the back of a black armored SUV. The interior smelled of expensive leather and gun oil. Renzo sat beside him, his long legs crossed, tapping a rhythmic beat on his knee. He didn't look at Luca once during the drive.

They wound through the narrow, rain-slicked streets of the industrial district, eventually stopping at a derelict warehouse near the docks. Two guards in sharp suits opened the doors. The air outside was salty and biting.

Inside the warehouse, a single hanging lightbulb swung over a man tied to a steel chair. He was beaten, his face a roadmap of bruises. When he saw Renzo enter, he began to sob through a gag.

Renzo walked toward the man with terrifying calm, but his hand reached back, finding Luca’s wrist and pulling him forward into the light.

"Do you know why we are here, Luca?" Renzo asked, his voice echoing off the corrugated metal walls.

"No," Luca whispered, his eyes wide with horror.

"This man," Renzo pointed a polished shoe at the captive, "was your mother’s brother. Your uncle. The one she told you died in a factory accident ten years ago."

Luca’s world tilted. His mother had no family. She had always told him they were alone in the world—that the Valentis were their only salvation.

"He’s been skimming from my accounts for a decade," Renzo continued, his grip on Luca’s wrist tightening until it bruised. "Using your mother’s position to hide his tracks. She knew, Luca. She protected him. She lied to me every day for years to keep this... filth... alive."

Renzo pulled a small, silver-plated pistol from his waistband and pressed it into Luca’s trembling palm. He wrapped his large hand over Luca’s, forcing his finger onto the trigger.

"He betrayed the family. He betrayed me," Renzo hissed into Luca’s ear, his breath hot against his neck. "Now, you are going to show me where your loyalty truly lies. Correct her mistake, Luca. Prove you aren't a liar like she was."

Luca’s heart felt like it was exploding. The man in the chair looked at him with pleading, bloodshot eyes.

"I can't," Luca sobbed.

"You will," Renzo whispered, his voice a dark caress. "Or I'll realize that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. And I’d hate to have to lock you in a much smaller cage than your bedroom."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***