Chapter 3 - The Toast
Seven days after Dominic found them, Elena agreed to return to the Vale estate.
But she brought Emma.
Dominic didn't question it.
When Emma walked into the enormous mansion, she stared at the chandelier.
“You live here?”
Dominic nodded.
“Why?”
He laughed.
Elena hadn't heard that sound in a long time.
Matteo ran through the hall.
“My room!”
Dominic followed him upstairs.
Nothing had been changed.
His toys remained exactly where he'd left them.
Matteo stared.
“You kept everything?”
“I thought you'd come home.”
“When?”
“Every day.”
That night, Dominic organized a private dinner.
Only the people he trusted most attended.
Victor Russo.
Several senior lieutenants.
Dominic's family doctor, Dr. Marcus Bell.
And Salvatore Moretti.
Salvatore entered carrying an expensive bottle of wine.
His silver hair was perfectly combed.
He embraced Dominic.
“My boy.”
Dominic watched his face carefully.
Salvatore looked toward Elena.
“Thank God.”
He kissed her cheek.
Then Matteo.
“My little man.”
Emma stood behind Matteo.
Salvatore noticed her.
For one fraction of a second, his smile disappeared.
Emma immediately grabbed Elena's hand.
Dominic saw it.
“You know Emma?” he asked.
Salvatore smiled.
“Should I?”
“No.”
“Then why ask?”
Dominic smiled.
“Curiosity.”
Dinner began.
For an hour, everyone laughed.
Matteo told stories.
Emma stole bread from Dominic's plate.
Elena actually smiled.
Then Salvatore stood.
“A toast.”
Everyone lifted their glasses.
Salvatore looked at Dominic.
“To family.”
Dominic watched him.
“To second chances.”
Elena raised her glass.
“And to bringing home those we thought we'd lost forever.”
Dominic drank.
One sip.
Then another.
Something burned.
He frowned.
Elena noticed.
“Dominic?”
The burning spread down his throat.
Then his chest.
His fingers opened.
The glass shattered.
“Dad?”
Dominic staggered.
Victor jumped up.
“Dominic!”
Dominic dropped to one knee.
His vision blurred.
Elena screamed.
“Call Marcus!”
The doctor rushed forward.
“What did he eat?”
“Same as us!”
Dominic tried to breathe.
Then he looked across the room.
Everyone was moving.
Everyone except one man.
Salvatore.
Standing perfectly still.
Watching.
Dominic collapsed.
The last thing he heard was Matteo crying.
When Dominic woke, he was in his private medical room.
Elena sat beside him.
Marcus checked the IV.
Dominic whispered:
“What?”
The doctor leaned closer.
“Arsenic.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Dominic tried sitting up.
“Bottle.”
“Gone,” Victor said from the doorway.
Dominic looked at him.
“What?”
“We searched the cellar.”
“And?”
“The bottle served at dinner was replaced.”
“By who?”
“We're checking.”
A small figure appeared beside Elena.
Emma.
She approached the bed.
Dominic looked at her.
“You okay?”
Emma nodded.
Then she leaned close.
“I know him.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
“The white-haired man.”
Elena turned.
Emma whispered:
“He was outside our house.”
Dominic stared toward the door.
“Salvatore?”
Emma nodded.
“Lots of times.”
Victor immediately stepped forward.
“When?”
“Before Mr. Dominic came.”
“How many times?”
Emma thought.
“Five. Maybe six.”
Dominic looked at Elena.
Elena's face drained of color.
Emma continued.
“One time he talked to a man in a car.”
“What did he say?” Dominic asked.
“I couldn't hear everything.”
“Anything.”
Emma looked frightened.
Dominic softened his voice.
“You're safe.”
She whispered:
“He said, ‘The woman should have disappeared permanently.’”
Silence filled the room.
Dominic's expression changed.
The grief disappeared.
So did the weakness.
What remained was the man New York feared.
But Elena grabbed his hand.
“No.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Don't become that man again.”
“He tried to kill you.”
“I know.”
“He threatened Matteo.”
“I know.”
“He poisoned me.”
“And if you react without proof, he'll know we're onto him.”
Dominic stared at her.
Victor spoke quietly.
“She’s right.”
Dominic looked toward Emma.
May you like
The little girl had just given them the first real witness.
And that meant Salvatore had another reason to silence her.
