Chapter 109
"Bruno," Penelope said, "you are not Vincenzo's son."
The words fell like a bombshell, and Bruno stood staring, his face frozen in shock and disbelief.
"No," he whispered, his voice finally breaking. "That's… that's a lie. It has to be a lie!" His eyes blazed into Greta's face, he was waiting anxiously for his mom to tell him it's not true.
Bruno, I… I didn't want you to find out this way," she choked, tears streaming down her face, a silent plea etched into every line of her face.
But Bruno shook his head. "No, you lied to me my whole life!" His voice rose,
"How could you? How could you do this to me?
But before anyone had said as much as a word, Bruno ran out of the room; his footsteps echoed down the corridor. He burst from the building, his vision blurred by his tears, his mind reeling as he struggled to come to terms with what he had just heard. He hardly heard the sounds of the street, the hooting horns, the humming engines.
It came out of nowhere. A car screeched to a halt; its driver staring at him in horror under the streetlights. Bruno lay motionless, blood pooling under his body.
“Nooo, Bruno Noo… Noo, Bruno, I can explain better.” Greta cried.
Her knees buckled as Greta collapsed on the cold floor inside. Agony was on her face, she buried her hands in her palm.
She had lost it all. Greta couldn't hold her grieve when she fell on the floor and collapsed.
Jacqueline watched the scene with cold humour.
Turning to Brenda, her face was drained of colour, her eyes wide with shock.
"I think it's high time you leave too," Jacqueline sneered. "Unless you want to end up like your little friend, I'd suggest you get out of my sight. Now."
This time, Brenda didn't argue, she had seen first hand what was happening. Secrets were up in the air and people were already dying, so she had to advise herself better.
“Alright alright alright, I'll leave okay”.she said as she walked out of the room.
A low laugh rumbled from Romano as Brenda disappeared from his view. Slowly clapping his hands together, his laughter increased in volume, "Oh, this is priceless," he laughed, "Years of deception, all unravelled in one evening."
Grandmother Penelope quietly observed this whole event with a silent, quiet satisfaction with what was happening.
"Well past time," she said quietly into herself. "I warned you, Greta. The lies only build upon one another until they fall under their own weight”.
Still chuckling, he eyed Penelope with a newfound respect. "Well, Grandma, never thought I'd see the day you'd air all of Greta's dirty laundry. You've always been the quiet one in the family."
Penelope smiled wryly, her eyes with Greta's crumpled form.
"Sometimes, silence speaks volumes. And sometimes, the truth finds its own way to the surface, no matter how much it is buried." Turning, she looked between Romano and Jacqueline. "But there is more you don't know."
Jacqueline cocked an eyebrow, her curiosity sparked. "More?" she asked, looking at Romano. "What more could there be?
Penelope's face began to cloud over, her eyes stalking, as she explained,
"Greta was never innocent in Vincenzo's affairs. In fact, she had her share of some pretty unsavoury business with his rival families. And it was those dealings that led to the accident that.that took Vincenzo's leg.".
The soft laugh escaped Romano's lips, his face revealed his disgust.
"You mean. is she involved with his enemies? After all he gave her, all he did for her?
Penelope nodded solemnly. "She was greedy, always wanting more. And in the name of power, she made deals with the very people who wanted to destroy Vincenzo. She betrayed him-as she betrayed everyone else. The accident wasn't any accident; it was a warning. But she never learned.
It was then, with her incredulous headshake, that the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place. "So that's why he was always so guarded… He knew he couldn't trust her."
Penelope turned back to Greta, who was lying still,
"And she kept up the charade, played the faithful wife, everyone buying into her devotion to family. But lies like hers. They have a way of catching up.”
In that instant, his phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the silence. He pulled it out, frowning as he read the name appearing on the screen: Ariel. He looked at Jacqueline and, after a faint flush rose to his cheeks, answered.
"Ariel… Hey," he stuttered, trying not to let be too suspicious "Now is not the best time, but—"
Jackie's eyes went thin, her eyes narrowing. "Ariel?" she cut in, crossing her arms. "As in. my best friend Ariel?"
Romano cleared his throat, the colour rising in his face. "Uh, yes. Ariel. We've been, well, seeing each other."
Jackie's jaw dropped, shock and betrayed
"You're dating my best friend?" she asked.
Look, Jacqueline," Romano stuttered. "I didn't think it would be an issue. Ariel and I-just sort of clicked. It wasn't planned. We've not even made it official yet."
Penelope was watching their little exchange with mild amusement before interrupting softly.
"Secrets falling apart all over the place tonight, it would seem."
Jacqueline gave Romano a glare, her face hardening. "We'll talk about this later," she muttered through her clenched teeth
"For now, we have bigger problems to deal with.
Romano turned away, shoving his phone in his pocket.
But before he could utter a word, the door opened and one of the guards came inside, his face very serious.
"Sir, we've just been informed… Bruno is in critical condition. He was run over by a car just outside."
Greta's head jerked up, her face twisted with grief as new tears ran down her face. "Noo… Not my boy… not dear…
Romano's face clouded. "Well, Greta-perhaps that is the price for all your lies."
Penelope reached a hand toward Jacqueline, who received the touch on her shoulder, her gaze softened.
"This is the end of Greta's tale,"
"But for us, it is a rebirth.
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