"What?"
"I am not the one with cancer." Luciano repeated, his unwavering gaze locked on Francesco.
This time, the trio looked at Luciano with confusion. Then realisation struck Francesco as his grandfather's words repeated in his mind. He grabbed fistfuls of his clothes as he shook his head. "You're lying. Sophia said she was fine. That she'd get better."
Realisation also struck Claudia and Caterina following Francesco's outburst.
"Luciano!" Demanded Claudia.
The head of the Baggio family remained unfazed as he continued to stare at his grandson. "Aurora has lung cancer."
Claudia and Caterina broke into uncontrolled crying while Francesco bit his lips to stifle his cries. He needed to get back to his mother now.
"My piccola." Cried Claudia.
"Papi, if you've known all this time, why didn't you tell us?" Caterina asked between sniffles.
"What good would it have done? Both of you would have been erratic and illogical; that's why Aurora didn't tell you herself."
"She never would have told you. It's your fault our lives were messed up!" Francesco pointed out angrily.
"We're both to blame," Luciano said softly.
"How long have you known, and how did you find out?" Claudia demanded, between angry sobs.
"Eight years ago, from her personal physician, Dr. Van Der Merwe."
"Then you know where she is!" Francesco accused.
"No."
"Mom doesn't go anywhere without Sophia knowing!"
Luciano took another long, uncomfortable breath. He looked the boy in front of him over; his grandson was seething with rage. Rage that was directed towards him and seemed to grow with every statement he made. "They were supposed to meet Dr. Van Der Merwe at a hospital in Sweden last week. She hasn't heard from them."
"Find them!" Francesco screamed.
The repeated shouting had strained Francesco's voice so much that his scream aggravated his vocal chords. The boy winced at the pain and the coughing fit, which brought greater pain and the metallic taste of blood to his mouth. Francesco wrapped his hand around his throat protectively. He opened his mouth to speak, but that led to another fit.
Unable to speak, he glared and bore his teeth at his grandfather. As his coughing fit subsided, Claudia hugged and kissed him.
"Piccolo, do not add to my grief this day. I cannot lose you and your mother." She pleaded.
"You had people watching her; how do you not know where she is?" Caterina asked.
"They boarded the plane, but it stopped in Germany; that's where they disappeared."
The more his grandfather spoke, the angrier Francesco felt. But he had no outlet for the rage and anger, making his chest feel heavy. The thought of killing his grandfather worked its way softly into the back of his mind.
"Germany? That Olíveira boy's mother is German elite. The Kaufmann-Huber family, isn't she?" Claudia said thoughtfully.
"He has her!" Francesco whispered, his words barely audible. The boy pushed his way out of his grandmother's embrace. and raced to his grandfather, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him as tears rushed down his face. "You know what he did to her."
"I have my suspicions, but no confirmation." Luciano stated. "If he is involved, it needs to be handled carefully."
"Carefully?!" Caterina shouted. "We are Baggio; we don't shy away from anyone who is a threat to us. If he has Roro—
"He is a special case." Luciano grabbed his grandson's hands. "You will no doubt agree that he needs to be dealt with carefully."
Francesco met Luciano's eyes. There was a smouldering fire in those soulless pits that brought them to life just briefly. He's angry? No. It was something deeper than anger, deeper than rage. The boy released his grandfather and nodded knowingly.
He knew.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
