Chapter 5 - The Child Salvatore Wanted Silenced
Elena stood in Adrienne’s study wearing a robe over her nightclothes.
Mia slept upstairs under guard.
Adrienne placed the photographs on the desk.
Elena looked at them.
Her daughter in the garden.
Her daughter outside the back quarters.
Her daughter holding Bruno’s collar while walking beside him.
Her face changed.
“Why does someone have pictures of my child?”
Adrienne did not soften the truth.
“Because Mia is a witness.”
Elena stared at him.
“She’s three.”
“Salvatore doesn’t care.”
“What does he think she can do?”
“Exactly what she already did.”
Elena sank into a chair.
“She told me she saw two men.”
“Yes.”
“But she couldn’t identify them.”
“She identified Vivien.”
Elena looked up.
Adrienne continued.
“If anyone investigates what happened, a child who saw the vehicle matters.”
Elena stood abruptly.
“I’m leaving.”
“No.”
She froze.
Adrienne’s voice remained calm.
“Not tonight.”
“You don’t get to tell me I can’t take my daughter.”
“You’re right.”
He stepped around the desk.
“But if you walk outside this estate right now, you become easier to reach.”
Elena’s eyes flashed.
“So we’re prisoners?”
“No.”
“Feels close.”
Adrienne accepted that.
“Tomorrow morning, if you still want to leave, I’ll give you a car, security and enough money to stay somewhere protected.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“I didn’t say you had to.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“I’m saying someone targeted your daughter because of me.”
Elena stared.
Adrienne’s jaw tightened.
“I will fix it.”
“How?”
He did not answer.
Elena stepped closer.
“No.”
Adrienne frowned.
“No what?”
“No disappearing into some back room with your men and deciding everything.”
His expression turned almost incredulous.
“Mrs. Rossi—”
“My daughter is involved.”
“Which is exactly why—”
“Which is exactly why I deserve to know what happens next.”
Adrienne stared at her.
Nobody spoke to him that way.
Nobody except, apparently, Elena Rossi.
Finally he said, “Salvatore is looking for leverage.”
“Against you?”
“Yes.”
“Why Mia?”
“Because I found Bruno because of her.”
Elena understood.
“He thinks you care about her.”
Adrienne’s expression changed slightly.
Elena noticed.
“So does he?”
“Does he what?”
“Think correctly?”
Adrienne looked toward the study doorway.
“Your daughter saved Bruno’s life.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
He returned his gaze to Elena.
“No child under my roof will be used against me.”
Elena folded her arms.
“That sounded very carefully worded.”
Adrienne almost smiled.
Then Tony entered.
“We found Franco.”
Adrienne turned.
“Where?”
“He contacted us himself.”
Tony put a phone on speaker.
A nervous male voice came through.
“Mr. Moretti?”
Adrienne answered.
“Franco.”
“I didn’t hurt the dog.”
Adrienne looked at Elena.
“Keep talking.”
“Salvatore told us to dump him.”
“Where?”
“That warehouse.”
“You left him near the canal.”
“We put him inside. He woke up later. Broke through part of the fence.”
Adrienne’s fingers tightened.
“Why drug him?”
“Because Salvatore said the dog was becoming a problem.”
“What problem?”
Silence.
Adrienne’s voice dropped.
“Franco.”
“He kept blocking Mr. Romano from your study.”
There it was.
“How many times did Salvatore enter my study while I was gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“Three. Maybe four.”
“What was he looking for?”
“Files.”
“Which files?”
“I swear I don’t know.”
Adrienne looked at Tony.
Tony made a note.
Adrienne asked, “Why photographs of Mia?”
Franco went silent.
Elena stepped closer to the phone.
“Answer him.”
Franco sounded surprised.
“Who’s that?”
“Mia’s mother.”
A pause.
Then Franco said, “Salvatore thinks the girl saw my face.”
Elena went pale.
Adrienne’s tone became dangerous.
“And what exactly did he tell you to do?”
“Nothing.”
“Franco.”
“He wanted us to scare the mother into leaving.”
Elena’s breath caught.
“No one was supposed to touch the kid.”
Adrienne stared at the phone.
“You approached their room at one in the morning.”
“I didn’t.”
“Your friend did.”
“That wasn’t my call.”
“Whose?”
“Salvatore’s.”
Adrienne ended the call.
Elena stared at him.
“What now?”
Adrienne picked up his jacket.
“Now Salvatore learns the difference between stealing from me and frightening a child.”
Elena caught his arm.
Adrienne looked down at her hand.
She immediately let go.
“Don’t do something that makes this worse.”
His expression was unreadable.
“What do you think I’m going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Neither does Salvatore.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Adrienne leaned closer.
“I’m not going to start a war over your daughter.”
“Good.”
“I’m going to end the problem without one.”
Thirty minutes later, Salvatore received an invitation.
Come to the estate.
Come alone.
He arrived at 3:04 a.m.
Tony searched him at the door.
Adrienne waited in the study.
Salvatore entered smiling.
“You wanted to talk.”
Adrienne pointed toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Salvatore sat.
Adrienne placed three things on the desk.
A photograph of Bruno.
The burner phone.
A bank ledger.
Salvatore’s smile vanished.
Adrienne leaned back.
May you like
“Which one do you want to lie about first?”
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