Chapter 2 - Room 2214
The hotel suite was larger than Sophia’s entire apartment.
She stood near the doorway while Dominic’s security chief, Marco Bell, checked the windows.
“Clear,” Marco said.
Dominic removed his wet overcoat.
Sophia remained clutching her bag.
“You said I could stay here.”
“You can.”
“Then why are you still here?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Because somebody followed you onto property I own.”
“That’s not your problem.”
“Everything inside this building is my problem.”
Sophia almost laughed.
“That must be exhausting.”
Marco glanced at Dominic.
Dominic almost smiled.
Almost.
A knock came at the door.
Sophia jumped.
Dominic noticed.
“It’s the doctor.”
“I don’t need a doctor.”
“You can tell her that.”
A woman entered carrying a medical bag.
Twenty minutes later, Dr. Lena Park stood.
“Nothing appears broken, but those ribs need imaging tomorrow.”
Sophia nodded.
The doctor looked directly at her.
“Do you have somewhere safe to go?”
“Yes.”
Dominic said, “No.”
Sophia glared at him.
Dr. Park wisely ignored both answers.
“I’ll leave my number.”
When she left, Dominic placed a glass of water on the table.
Sophia didn’t touch it.
“Why are you helping me?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“That’s reassuring.”
His gaze settled on her bag.
“Take out the lipstick.”
Sophia went still.
“No.”
“Sophia.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Trevor screamed it across half the garage.”
She hugged the bag closer.
Dominic sat opposite her.
“I saw how quickly you hid that lipstick.”
“It belongs to my mother.”
“No, the photograph does.”
Sophia stared.
Dominic nodded toward the open zipper.
“I saw that too.”
“You notice everything?”
“It keeps me alive.”
Sophia hesitated.
Then she pulled out the lipstick tube.
She twisted the bottom.
A tiny flash drive dropped into her palm.
Marco stepped closer.
Dominic remained seated.
“What’s on it?”
“Records.”
“What records?”
Sophia looked between them.
“Trevor works for a private accounting company.”
Dominic’s face became still.
“Name?”
“Hale Strategic Holdings.”
Marco cursed quietly.
Dominic leaned forward.
“What did you find?”
Sophia swallowed.
“Transfers. Shell companies. Fake invoices. Payoffs.”
“To whom?”
“I don’t know all of them.”
“Show me.”
Sophia shook her head.
“This is my insurance.”
“Against Trevor?”
“Against everyone.”
Dominic’s voice remained calm.
“If Hale Strategic Holdings is involved, Trevor isn’t the person you should be afraid of.”
Sophia laughed bitterly.
“You don’t know Trevor.”
“No. But I know Victor Hale.”
That name meant nothing to Sophia.
Her expression showed it.
Dominic continued.
“Hale manages money for people who don’t like records existing.”
Sophia stared at the flash drive.
“I copied it six weeks ago.”
“Why?”
“I was doing bookkeeping from home. Trevor left his laptop open.”
“What did you see?”
“My name.”
Dominic’s eyes sharpened.
Sophia continued.
“There was an account under my identity. Nearly two million dollars moved through it.”
Marco looked at Dominic.
Sophia said, “I confronted Trevor.”
“What happened?”
“He told me I was confused.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“Then he changed all my passwords. Took my phone. Started telling people I was unstable.”
“And tonight?”
“I found out he planned to move me.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Her voice cracked slightly.
She stopped herself.
Dominic noticed but didn’t press.
Instead, he held out his hand.
“The drive.”
“No.”
“I can tell you what you have.”
“And then?”
“Then you decide what happens next.”
Sophia stared at him.
“You expect me to trust you?”
“No.”
That answer surprised her.
Dominic leaned back.
“Trust is expensive. You met me forty minutes ago.”
“Then why should I give this to you?”
“Because if I wanted to take it, we wouldn’t be negotiating.”
Marco looked away.
Sophia studied Dominic.
Finally, she placed the flash drive on the table.
Dominic didn’t touch it.
He nodded to Marco.
“Use an isolated laptop.”
Marco disappeared into the adjoining room.
Sophia sat opposite Dominic.
“You really are mafia?”
Dominic looked mildly amused.
“Is that your question?”
“Yes.”
“I own hotels, restaurants, shipping companies, and several businesses your accountant would find irritating.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“No.”
“So you’re avoiding it.”
“Yes.”
For the first time that night, Sophia smiled.
It lasted half a second.
Then Marco returned.
His face had changed.
“Dominic.”
“What?”
“You need to see this.”
They entered the next room.
Hundreds of files filled the screen.
Transactions.
Names.
Dates.
Photographs.
Dominic scrolled once.
Then stopped.
His expression turned cold.
Sophia stepped closer.
“What?”
Dominic pointed at one name.
Anthony Moretti.
Sophia looked at him.
“Family?”
“My younger brother.”
Marco said quietly, “He died eighteen months ago.”
Sophia’s stomach tightened.
Dominic opened another file.
A payment.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
Date: three days before Anthony Moretti’s death.
Recipient: Trevor Dane.
Sophia covered her mouth.
Dominic stared at the screen.
When he finally spoke, his voice was almost emotionless.
“Your ex didn’t follow you because he loves you.”
Sophia looked at him.
Dominic turned the laptop.
May you like
“He followed you because you stole proof of murder.”
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