Chapter 5 - Emma’s Trap
Dominic doubled security.
Emma hated it.
“Why does a man follow me to the bathroom?”
“He doesn't go inside.”
“He waits outside.”
“That's his job.”
“It's weird.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“Welcome to my life.”
Emma crossed her arms.
“I don't like your life.”
“Neither do I lately.”
She climbed onto the chair opposite him.
“Are you scared?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Yes.”
Emma seemed surprised.
“You?”
“Especially me.”
“Why?”
“Because now I have things I can't lose.”
Emma considered that.
“Matteo?”
“And Elena.”
Emma looked down.
Dominic added:
“And you.”
Her eyes lifted.
“Me?”
“You brought my family home.”
“You bought me shoes.”
“That too.”
She smiled.
Then she remembered something.
“The car.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“What car?”
“The white-haired man's car.”
“What about it?”
“I saw something inside.”
“When?”
“When he watched our house.”
“What?”
“A gold bird.”
Dominic froze.
“Where?”
“On the window.”
Victor, standing nearby, immediately understood.
“Salvatore's private club.”
Dominic nodded.
Members of the Bellacorte Club had gold falcon parking decals.
Victor pulled records.
One vehicle registered through the club had visited Elena's neighborhood eleven times.
The driver?
Salvatore Moretti.
They finally had physical evidence connecting him to the house.
But Dominic wanted everything.
Not revenge.
Proof.
So they gave Salvatore an opportunity.
Dominic announced that he was taking Elena and Matteo away for several weeks.
He deliberately leaked the route.
That evening, Salvatore called.
“My boy.”
“Sal.”
“I heard you're leaving.”
“Family vacation.”
“You deserve one.”
“I thought so.”
“Where?”
Dominic smiled.
“You know better than to ask.”
Salvatore laughed.
“Old habits.”
After the call, Victor looked at Dominic.
“He took it.”
“Wait.”
Twenty minutes later, one of Salvatore's men accessed the fake travel itinerary.
Then another message appeared.
A payment authorization.
Dominic's cybersecurity team traced it.
Salvatore.
Elena stared at the screen.
“That's enough.”
Dominic nodded.
But Matteo entered.
“Dad?”
Dominic closed the laptop.
“What is it?”
“Emma's gone.”
Everything stopped.
“What?”
“We were playing hide-and-seek.”
Dominic ran upstairs.
The window in Emma's room was open.
A chair sat beneath it.
On the floor was one of her new shoes.
Dominic's face went cold.
Victor checked the window.
“No forced entry.”
Elena shook her head.
“She wouldn't leave.”
Then Matteo spoke.
“She said she was going to catch the bad man.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“She heard you talking.”
“About what?”
“The old warehouse.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
They had mentioned Salvatore's abandoned warehouse while discussing evidence.
Emma had gone there herself.
Dominic grabbed his coat.
Elena caught his arm.
“Bring her home.”
He looked at his wife.
“I will.”
At the warehouse, Dominic found Emma hiding behind stacked crates.
“Emma.”
She jumped.
“Dominic?”
He rushed forward.
“What were you thinking?”
“I found something.”
“I don't care.”
She held up a phone.
Dominic stopped.
“Where did you get that?”
“Office upstairs.”
Victor examined it.
Salvatore's backup phone.
Messages filled the screen.
Payments.
Instructions.
Photographs of Elena.
Photographs of Matteo.
Even the original order from one year earlier.
Make the woman disappear. The boy stays leverage.
Dominic stared at it.
Emma smiled proudly.
“I caught him.”
A voice came from behind them.
“No, child.”
Dominic turned.
Salvatore stood at the warehouse entrance.
“You caught nothing.”
Several men were behind him.
Dominic stepped in front of Emma.
Salvatore sighed.
“I hoped it wouldn't end like this.”
Dominic stared at the man who had helped raise him.
“You threatened my wife.”
“You were becoming soft.”
“You hunted my son.”
“I protected what your father built.”
“You poisoned me.”
Salvatore smiled faintly.
“And yet here you stand.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“You made one mistake.”
“Which one?”
Dominic looked around.
“You thought I came alone.”
Police sirens erupted outside.
Salvatore's expression collapsed.
Victor smiled.
“Whole conversation was transmitted.”
Salvatore looked at Dominic.
“You brought police into family business?”
Dominic shook his head.
“No.”
May you like
He looked at Emma.
“I brought family business into the light.”
