Chapter 2 - The Maid Who Became a Witness
Twenty minutes later, Adrian’s penthouse no longer looked like a billionaire’s home.
It looked like a command center.
Men checked elevators.
Phones disappeared into signal-blocking cases.
Security footage played across three monitors.
I sat at the dining table with an ice pack against my bruised shoulder.
Adrian stood across from me.
“You’re staying here tonight.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My brother is in the hospital.”
“And someone may already know who you are.”
“I’m going to Toby.”
“You walk outside now, you may never reach him.”
I stared at him.
“Is that supposed to make me feel safer around you?”
“No.”
At least he was honest.
A broad-shouldered man named Luca Marino approached.
“Boss.”
Adrian looked at him.
“We found this on Vincent.”
Luca placed a second phone on the table.
“One outgoing message three minutes before Cara hit you.”
“To whom?”
“Burner.”
“What did it say?”
Luca looked at me.
Adrian noticed.
“Say it.”
Luca read the message.
“Girl saw it. Handle hospital if necessary.”
Every bit of anger disappeared from my body.
“Toby.”
I stood so fast the chair fell backward.
Adrian caught my arm.
“Let go!”
“Cara.”
“They know about Toby!”
“I know.”
“I have to call him.”
“You’re not using your phone.”
“Then give me yours!”
Adrian handed it over.
I dialed the hospital.
A nurse answered.
“This is Cara Jenkins. Toby Jenkins, pulmonary unit.”
A pause.
“Yes, his sister.”
Another pause.
My knees weakened.
“What do you mean someone already called?”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Who?”
I covered the phone.
“Someone claiming to be family asked what floor he was on.”
Adrian’s face changed.
He turned to Luca.
“Six men to Mount Sinai. Now.”
“Already moving.”
“Double it.”
I stared at him.
“You knew?”
“I anticipated.”
“Then take me there.”
“Not yet.”
“Adrian—”
“No.”
I stepped directly in front of him.
“You don’t get to order me around because people are afraid of you.”
“You want to punch me again?”
“If necessary.”
For the first time that night, Luca looked like he was trying not to smile.
Adrian noticed.
“Something funny?”
“No, boss.”
“Good.”
Adrian looked back at me.
“You go to the hospital after my people secure it.”
“Toby will be scared.”
“Then call him.”
Five minutes later, Toby’s tired voice came through the phone.
“Cara?”
I nearly cried.
“Hey, kid.”
“You sound weird.”
“Long shift.”
“You always say that when you’re lying.”
“He’s smart,” Adrian said.
I covered the phone.
“Quiet.”
Toby heard him.
“Who’s that?”
“My boss.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
I ignored him.
“Listen, Toby. Some security people are coming upstairs.”
“Why?”
“Because my boss is paranoid.”
Adrian folded his arms.
Toby laughed weakly.
“Is he rich?”
“Unfortunately.”
“How rich?”
“Go to sleep.”
“Cara?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m scared about tomorrow.”
Tomorrow.
The meeting with his doctors.
The one about the treatment we couldn’t afford.
“I know.”
“What if they say we can’t do it?”
My throat tightened.
Before I could answer, Adrian took the phone.
“Mr. Jenkins?”
My mouth fell open.
Toby went silent.
“My name is Adrian Duca.”
“Oh.”
“Your sister works for me.”
“Did she break something?”
Adrian glanced at the shattered crystal across his floor.
“Yes.”
I glared at him.
“But she also prevented something considerably more expensive from being broken.”
“What?”
“Me.”
Toby laughed.
Adrian’s voice softened.
“You have nothing to worry about tomorrow.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve already handled it.”
I grabbed the phone.
“What did you do?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
Toby did.
“Cara?”
“I’m here.”
“Your boss is weird.”
“You have no idea.”
After Toby fell asleep, I faced Adrian.
“What did you mean you handled it?”
He placed his phone on the table.
An email confirmation appeared on the screen.
Mount Sinai.
Treatment authorization.
Financial guarantee.
Balance: covered in full.
I stared at it.
“No.”
“It’s done.”
“Cancel it.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“You saved my life.”
“I didn’t sell you mine.”
His expression hardened.
“That money doesn’t buy you.”
“Then what does it buy?”
“Your brother time.”
I had no answer.
Luca interrupted.
“We found something else.”
He placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Vincent entering a restaurant.
Across from him sat a man I recognized.
My stomach dropped.
“That’s Mr. Hale.”
Adrian looked at me.
“Who?”
“Richard Hale. Owner of Apex Metropolitan Cleaning.”
The company that had assigned me to Adrian’s penthouse.
Adrian slowly turned toward Luca.
“Our cleaning contractor was meeting Vincent?”
“Three times in two months.”
I stared at the photograph.
Adrian looked at me.
“Cara.”
“What?”
“How did Apex choose you for this assignment?”
“They said someone specifically requested me.”
“Who?”
“I never asked.”
Adrian’s voice dropped.
May you like
“Then maybe you weren’t hired to clean my apartment.”
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