Chapter 3 - Breakfast With a Traitor
Dominic Moretti was eating strawberries when Adrian entered the dining room.
He looked up.
“Finally.”
Adrian sat opposite him.
Dominic smiled.
“You look surprisingly alive.”
“I slept well.”
The strawberry stopped halfway to Dominic's mouth.
Only for a second.
But Adrian saw it.
“You slept?”
“Seven hours.”
Dominic lowered the fruit.
“That's wonderful.”
“Isn't it?”
“What changed?”
Adrian poured coffee.
“I didn't drink the tea.”
Dominic's smile remained.
Barely.
“Maybe that's the secret.”
“Maybe.”
Dominic leaned back.
“I brought Lily something.”
“Why?”
“She likes stuffed animals.”
“You know what Lily likes?”
Dominic shrugged.
“She lives here.”
Adrian stirred his coffee.
“She also talks a lot.”
This time Dominic's eyes changed.
“Children do.”
“They notice things too.”
“What exactly are we discussing?”
Adrian smiled.
“Breakfast.”
Dominic studied him.
“Where's the girl?”
“With her mother.”
“I'll give her the gift later.”
“No.”
Dominic stared at him.
“No?”
“She won't be seeing you today.”
A long silence followed.
Then Dominic laughed.
“You're acting strange.”
“Maybe I finally got enough sleep.”
Dominic stood.
“I have a meeting downtown.”
“Sit.”
Dominic stopped.
Adrian didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
Slowly, Dominic sat again.
Adrian pushed a folder across the table.
Dominic opened it.
His expression remained calm until he saw the laboratory report.
Then the color disappeared from his face.
Adrian watched him.
“Anything you want to tell me?”
Dominic closed the folder.
“This proves nothing.”
“It proves my tea was contaminated.”
“Anyone could have done that.”
“True.”
Dominic relaxed slightly.
Then Adrian placed a tablet on the table.
“Which is why I checked the kitchen cameras.”
Dominic's eyes flickered toward the screen.
Adrian pressed play.
The footage showed Dominic entering the kitchen.
Looking toward both doors.
Removing a small bottle from his pocket.
Adding drops to Adrian's cup.
Dominic stared at the screen.
Adrian stopped the video.
“You were always smart.”
Dominic said nothing.
“But apparently not smart enough to notice we replaced the kitchen cameras six months ago.”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
“I was helping you.”
“With poison?”
“It wasn't poison.”
“Interesting distinction.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“You were destroying everything.”
Adrian's voice remained calm.
“How?”
“You stopped trusting people. You canceled meetings. You forgot conversations. You screamed at employees.”
“Because you were drugging me.”
“No.”
Dominic struck the table.
“Before that!”
Adrian stared at him.
Dominic realized his mistake.
Silence.
Adrian leaned back.
“Before that?”
Dominic's breathing changed.
Adrian continued.
“So the insomnia started before the tea.”
Dominic said nothing.
“Three years ago.”
Still nothing.
“The intruder.”
Dominic's face betrayed him.
Adrian suddenly understood.
“You arranged it.”
Dominic stood.
Adrian didn't move.
“You sent that man into my house.”
Dominic backed away.
“He was supposed to scare you.”
“Why?”
“Because you controlled everything!”
His composure finally broke.
“You were Father’s favorite. You inherited the companies. The properties. The connections. Everyone looked at me like I was Adrian Moretti's little brother.”
“So you decided to break me.”
“I created an opportunity.”
“You created three years of hell.”
“And it worked!”
The words echoed across the dining room.
Dominic froze.
Adrian's expression became almost emotionless.
Dominic breathed heavily.
“You couldn't sleep. You started making mistakes. People came to me.”
“You made sure they did.”
“I proved I could lead.”
“You proved you could sabotage your own family.”
Dominic's hand slipped into his jacket.
The doors opened immediately.
Gabriel entered with two security men.
Dominic stopped.
Gabriel shook his head.
“Don't.”
Dominic slowly removed his empty hand.
Then his eyes moved toward the hallway.
“Where's Lily?”
Adrian stood.
That question changed everything.
“You will never say her name again.”
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“A housekeeper's child destroys everything and suddenly she's important?”
“She noticed what grown men were paid not to notice.”
“You're going to throw away your brother because of a toddler?”
“No.”
Adrian stepped closer.
May you like
“You threw away your brother three years ago.”
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