Chapter 535: The Name in the Blood

Chapter 535: The Name in the Blood
Chapter 535: The Name in the Blood

The room went silent.

Isabella stared at the computer screen.

THE SEVENTH FAMILY IS HIS.

The words seemed impossible.

Dante stood beside her, completely still.

Luca slowly lowered himself into the chair.

Elena looked at Dante.

Her face told Isabella everything.

“You knew,” Isabella whispered.

Elena shook her head.

“Not everything.”

Dante turned toward her.

“What does that mean?”

Elena didn't answer.

Dante's voice hardened.

“Elena.”

“I didn't know the seventh family was yours.”

“Then what did you know?”

Elena looked at Isabella.

“That your father was afraid of what would happen if Dante ever discovered the truth.”

Dante stared at the screen.

“My family?”

Luca nodded slowly.

“The seventh bloodline.”

Dante turned toward him.

“Explain.”

Luca swallowed.

“Seven families funded Blackwater. Six became known. The seventh disappeared from the records.”

“Why?”

“Because Antonio erased them.”

Dante's expression changed.

“Why would he erase my family?”

“Because they weren't simply investors.”

Luca looked at Isabella.

“They were the founders.”

Dante stepped closer.

“My father?”

“Your family controlled the original organization before Blackwater had a name.”

Isabella looked at Dante.

He seemed shaken for the first time since she had known him.

“You never knew?”

“No.”

His voice was quiet.

“I was told my family died.”

Elena closed her eyes.

“Most of them did.”

Dante turned sharply.

“Most?”

“There were survivors.”

“Who?”

Elena hesitated.

“Your father.”

Dante's face went pale.

“Antonio knew.”

“Yes.”

“And he never told me.”

“He was trying to protect you.”

Dante laughed bitterly.

“Everyone keeps using that excuse.”

Isabella stepped closer.

“Dante.”

He looked at her.

“I spent my entire life thinking I was fighting my father's enemies.”

His jaw tightened.

“What if I was fighting my own family?”

“You didn't choose any of this.”

“But my blood did.”

Isabella took his hand.

“Blood doesn't decide who you become.”

Dante looked down at their joined hands.

Luca cleared his throat.

“There is more.”

Dante looked up.

“Of course there is.”

Luca pointed at the screen.

“Antonio didn't erase the seventh family because they were dangerous.”

“Then why?”

“Because they were divided.”

“How?”

“The family split into two factions.”

“Who led them?”

“Your father led one.”

“And the other?”

Luca looked at Elena.

“Voss.”

Isabella's stomach tightened.

“Voss is part of Dante's family?”

“Not by blood.”

Luca shook his head.

“He was the family's strategist. Their closest adviser.”

Dante stared at the screen.

“So Voss has been manipulating everything because he wants my family's position.”

“Not exactly.”

“What does he want?”

“The seventh seat.”

Dante frowned.

“What seat?”

“The council has seven seats. Six families occupy six of them.”

Luca's expression darkened.

“The seventh has remained empty for twenty years.”

Isabella understood.

“Waiting for Dante.”

“No.”

Luca looked at her.

“Waiting for an heir.”

Dante slowly released Isabella's hand.

“I don't want it.”

“You don't have a choice.”

Dante looked at him coldly.

“That's what everyone says.”

A sudden noise came from outside.

Tires screeched.

Dante immediately reached for his weapon.

“Lights.”

Luca shut them off.

They moved toward the windows.

Three black SUVs stopped outside the building.

Men poured out.

Isabella counted at least eight.

“Voss?”

Luca shook his head.

“No.”

“How do you know?”

“Voss doesn't send this many.”

Dante watched the men surround the building.

“Then who?”

Luca whispered one word.

“Moretti.”

Isabella's pulse quickened.

“Alexander?”

“He wouldn't attack us.”

“Wouldn't he?”

Luca shook his head.

“Alexander wants Dante alive.”

Dante looked toward the door.

“Then these aren't his men.”

The first gunshot shattered the window.

Everyone dropped.

Bullets ripped through the office.

Dante grabbed Isabella and pulled her behind a desk.

“Stay down!”

Glass fell around them.

Elena screamed.

Luca fired toward the window.

Dante moved across the room and returned fire.

The shooting stopped.

Silence followed.

Dante waited.

Then footsteps approached the building.

Heavy.

Several men.

A voice came through the door.

“Dante Vale.”

Dante raised his weapon.

“Who's asking?”

“You know exactly who.”

Dante's eyes narrowed.

“Voss.”

The voice laughed.

“Your father always said you were stubborn.”

Dante stepped toward the door.

“You killed Luca.”

“I tried.”

“You shot him.”

“I shot a man who knew too much.”

“You've been following Isabella.”

“I've been protecting her.”

Dante laughed.

“By hunting her?”

“By keeping worse people away from her.”

Isabella stepped beside Dante.

“What do you want?”

Voss answered immediately.

“You.”

Dante looked at her.

“Stay back.”

“No.”

Voss heard her.

“You've always been difficult, Isabella.”

“You've been watching me for months.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because your father asked me to.”

The room went silent.

Isabella stared at the door.

“My father?”

“Yes.”

Dante's expression hardened.

“Don't lie.”

“I have no reason to.”

“Then tell me where he is.”

“I can't.”

“Can't or won't?”

“Can't.”

Voss's voice became quieter.

“Because Antonio isn't hiding from me.”

Isabella felt cold.

“Then who is he hiding from?”

Voss paused.

“His son.”

Dante froze.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because your father believes you will kill him when you learn the truth.”

Dante's face hardened.

“What truth?”

“The seventh family wasn't destroyed.”

Voss continued.

“It was transferred.”

“To whom?”

“To Antonio.”

Dante stared at the door.

“Transferred what?”

“The empire.”

Luca whispered, “Impossible.”

Voss continued.

“Your father became the seventh head. He used Blackwater to control the other six families.”

Isabella looked at Dante.

“Then why disappear?”

“Because the council discovered what he had done.”

Dante's voice was barely audible.

“And Voss?”

“I was ordered to bring him back.”

“By whom?”

“The council.”

Dante raised his weapon.

“Where is he?”

“I'll tell you.”

“When?”

“Midnight.”

Dante glanced at the clock.

11:37.

Voss continued.

“Bring Isabella.”

“No.”

“Then you'll never see your father.”

The line went dead.

Dante lowered the weapon.

Isabella looked at him.

“We're going.”

“No.”

“You heard him.”

“I heard a threat.”

“He knows where my father is.”

“And that's exactly why it's a trap.”

“Everything is a trap.”

She stepped closer.

“But this is the first one that might lead us to him.”

Dante stared into her eyes.

“I won't let you walk into danger because of me.”

“And I won't let you walk into it alone.”

He wanted to argue.

Instead, he reached for her hand.

“Then we do this my way.”

She nodded.

“What's your way?”

“We don't meet Voss.”

Isabella frowned.

“Then who do we meet?”

Dante looked toward the photograph of the seven families.

“We meet the seventh family.”

Luca's eyes widened.

“They're dead.”

Dante shook his head.

“No.”

He pointed at the final photograph.

One face had been deliberately scratched out.

“The seventh family isn't dead.”

He looked at Isabella.

“Someone has been hiding their identity.”

“Who?”

Dante picked up the photograph.

His expression changed.

“I know that face.”

Isabella stared at him.

“Who is it?”

Dante looked toward Elena.

She had gone completely white.

“Tell her.”

Elena whispered the name.

“Michael Vale.”

Isabella's breath caught.

“Who is Michael Vale?”

Elena looked at Dante.

“Your father's brother.”

Dante's eyes narrowed.

“And the man who was supposed to inherit everything.”

Outside, another engine started.

The SUVs were leaving.

But the danger wasn't.

Because somewhere in Chicago, Michael Vale was alive.

And for the first time, Isabella realized the mystery wasn't about who wanted her father's empire.

It was about who believed they already owned it.