After a few seconds of silence Paulo spoke in an aggressive tone “What is this picture supposed to show? This shows my traitorous wife next to her other traitorous sister in a demonstration in Kansas. What does it tell me?”

Alessandro spoke carefully “Its not Kansas. Look at it carefully. The uniform of the policeman in the background is not American. Its British. The likelihood that this picture was taken only three months ago in a women’s movement demonstration in Westminster Abby in London is highly likely.”

Paulo spoke “Tell me why is this picture of any value in this file and why was this file in Kansas?”

Alessandro spoke “Because your brother has hired a high level security official in Kansas that has close worldwide links especially with British police to .... search for any traces of his wife anywhere in the world. Here she is in this picture standing next to your .... ex-wife. Now you asked me why this picture is of any value, I think you already know. Your brother’s guards were involved in a mission to capture your wife recently and from what he told me she is .... locked up in this mansion somewhere. As his lawyer I am here to ask you to hand her over to me. I will take her to your brother’s headquarters in New York and will question her about where her sister might be.”

Paulo laughed “Do you really actually think I am handing over my wife to you? She is going to be dead soon. Count on someone else to help with the search for my brother’s wife.”

Alessandro sounded urgent “You don’t understand. This picture is the only clue found about your brother’s wife. If you kill your wife, the information on her sister’s whereabouts will die with her. Please reconsider my request.”

Paulo sounded amused “I don’t understand why my brother is so dead set on finding his wife. That woman walked out of his life but of course he blames himself. Now tell me Alessandro, give me one good reason why I should hand over my ex-wife to you that I am about to start punishing slowly and painfully for her sins? She needs to answer for her crimes. So find another source of information.”

Alessandro spoke “With all due respect I don’t understand what crimes you wish to punish your ex-wife for. From what I have heard from your brother, your ex-wife was forced to be part of that witness protection program since her husband was pushing for a promotion. Besides that case never even reached any court. She has committed no crimes against you technically. Her husband did. Needless to say you tortured and killed him in front of her. The one responsible for that court case is dead now. Why not move on and allow her to help my client, your brother to find his wife?”

Paulo spoke “You know Alessandro. The only reason I havent made you drown in a pool of your blood for speaking out of turn till this minute is because as you know you were raised with my brother and I in the same neighbourhood in Bronx. You are my childhood friend and I look at you like a younger brother. I have never refused you or my brother anything but this time it is different. I need to make her pay for crimes you don’t know of. Of course I am referring to her crimes that lead our marriage down the path of a divorce. Her recent betrayal made me realise that she does not deserve her freedom and does not deserve my act of clemency. I showed her mercy by letting her go but this is how she repaid me. She married another man and came after my organisation with all she had. Now Alessandro, be careful of your next words. You see that this is more personal than you think. You maybe a good lawyer but even you can’t defend an already condemned woman.”

Alessandro remained silent for a few seconds but then spoke “Very well. I will approach this differently. How about if I told you that allowing your brother getting information from your wife would be for your benefit too. You promised to give Costanzo to your brother when he turns eighteen to be trained to take over his empire. We both know you don’t wish to do this. You agreed to do this at the time your brother was recovering from drinking himself to death when his wife left him. You were aware of his religious beliefs. You knew he did not believe in loving a second woman in his life time. You knew part of his pain was due to him knowing his chances of becoming a father was reduced to zero once that woman walked out of his life. You went to see him in hospital and to stop him becoming an alcoholic, you made a promise to him that your younger son would be his to adopt when he is of legal age. Of course there were other reasons you did this too and we both know what that reason is?”

Paulo growled “You refresh my memory. Tell me it was also to do with my ex-wife.”

Alessandro spoke “We both know what had happened. As we recall, your wife helped her sister escape and at the time she was pregnant over Costanzo and already had Francesco with you. So she was bound to you and couldn’t leave with her but she helped her sister leave regardless. You felt guilty for your wife’s involvement. But you made your brother forget his pain by promising to give one of your sons to him. That warmed his heart till now. He drank himself to death again last night because he knows how close he is to finding his wife and ..... possibly having children and his brother is planning to torture and kill the only witness to his wife’s whereabouts. He pleaded to you through his men to let your ex-wife live but you refused him. He wants children really badly and you know it. Now if you kill your ex-wife, he can’t find his wife to have children of his own but he surely would push for you to hand over Costanzo to him sooner even and he would make sure you will never see your son unless its Christmas day. Of course you don’t want that. Your sons are your pride and joy. In your mind having two strong children reflect the strength of your empire. Now tell me sir, do you really wish to kill your ex-wife and lose a son to your brother? Think about what would happen if you allow your ex-wife to live to tell us where her sister is and lead us to her in a search in London. Then your brother can have children. Costanzo would be solely yours to train and mold in your image. ”

Paulo sighed ” Who told you I promised to give him Costanzo?”

Alessandro spoke nervously “Your brother told me you promised one of your sons. Since Francesco is your first born heir then .... it leaves Costanzo.”

Paulo spoke in an irritated tone ” That was until I sent my sons to him for safe keeping. He contacted me and told me he wanted Francesco instead. He said he wanted a man of action, not a possible lawyer to lead his organisation which Costanzo is likely going to turn out to be. However he wants Francesco to go to law school too. So I had to promise Francesco. To keep my sons with me as long as I can, I enrolled both my sons in a boarding school in Nevada. Also, it is a good decision since if my sons have the same upbringing then there shouldn’t be a reason for me to lose out by keeping my youngest son.”

Alessandro gasped “You .... promised your eldest son? But sir, your brother is even downplaying even being happy to have one of your sons. He dismisses it as an inevitable and unimportant arrangement. but if it wasn’t so important to him, why would he ask for your eldest son?”

Paulo laughed “From the looks of it my brother is a good actor too. He pretends not to love my sons in front of me and masks his actions with his expression of hate for teenagers but he loves my oldest son to death. When I told him, I am enrolling my sons in a school in Nevada, he told me he is willing to also relocate. He is willing to leave that godforsaken small town that has his wife’s memories to relocate in Nevada to watch my son, Francesco grow into his own image while he is close by. Now here you are telling me that there is hope for me to keep both my sons ....... I think i am going to give you the benefit of doubt. Take my ex-wife. Question her. Get her to help you find that woman. If that woman gets pregnant I would get to keep my children and that’s worth the risk of handing over my wife to you and risking her escaping. But let me make it clear that, if she escapes while under your protection, then my deal with my brother is off. I am keeping both my sons.”

Alessandro sounded hopeful “Thank you sir.”

Paulo spoke “Don’t thank me yet. You havent found my brother’s wife yet. You may never will. My ex-wife may not even co-operate with you. That’s not my problem of course. Follow me. I will take you to her and get the guards to provide transport to take her to your organisation so you would have no responsibility of keeping her from escaping on the way. But remember, if she gets lost while inside my brother’s headquarters in New York, I would hold my brother responsible. It would make us, even again. My ex-wife made his wife disappear and if the procedures to find that woman makes my ex-wife disappear then there is no need for me to hand over my eldest son to him. We would be completely even.”

As Paulo and Alessandro walked out and the office next door went silent, Adele, Francesco and Costanzo all looked at each other with wide eyes, frozen in spot. Francesco whispered “I can’t believe this. Uncle’s plan is working. Our mother would be out of here.”

Costanzo stuttered “If mother doesn’t escape and uncle’s wife is not found then, you would be adopted by uncle. That woman must be brought to uncle and bears children for him. She just has to be found and mother must also escape. What’s going to happen to us Francesco?”

Francesco growled “No matter what happens. They won’t break us up. They can’t force us to live apart ever. I am not leaving you Costanzo. We are a family. I am not ever leaving you under our father to become his punch bag. Not now and not when I turn eighteen and I become our uncle’s son legally. Father must fight for us..... But never mind that. Mother must live at all costs. Lets hope uncle has further plans to solve everything here.” He then turned to Adele and kissed her forehead, I can’t believe my mother goes free today.”

Adele smiled weakly “Do you think if we go upstairs now, we can get a glimpse of her.”

Francesco shook his head “I doubt it. They would most likely get her into one of those cars with tinted windows that are in the garage. Unless we don’t go to the garage we can’t see her. But its worth looking out the window. Follow me.”

Costanzo and Adele followed Francesco up the stairs and though the wardrobe in Costanzo’s room. They walked to the balcony door and looked outside. Costanzo sounded gutted “Francesco is right. They have put her most likely in a car from the garage. Look, there is the garage door opening.”

Adele spoke “Its so sad that you can’t even see your own mother. How heartless can your father be.”

Adele noticed how both Costanzo and Francesco became suddenly so emotional at watching a car with tinted windows leave the garage. Costanzo let tears roll down his face and Francesco patted him on the shoulders “As long as she lives, we should be happy Costanzo. Lets hope our uncle has a plan to keep her safe and away from the grasp of our father.................... Even if it means we will never see her again.” Adele could now almost see tears in Francesco’s eyes.