Chapter 2 - The Woman Inside Luca’s House
Thirty minutes later, I stood in Luca’s private office wearing black trousers, a sweater, and shoes I could actually run in.
The bloody dress was gone.
The blood on my hands wasn’t.
I had scrubbed them three times.
I could still feel it.
Luca walked in carrying a folder.
“Your sister’s phone went dark near Red Hook.”
“Mercer’s territory.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are we still here?”
“Because Caroline’s kidnapping tells us something.”
“That Mercer is insane?”
“That too.”
Luca placed the folder on the desk.
“But Shaw knew her address. Ethan’s school. Your work schedule. Which gala entrance you were using tonight.”
I stared at him.
“You think someone gave Mercer information.”
“I know someone did.”
He opened the folder.
Inside were security reports.
Schedules.
Staff access logs.
“You keep files on me?”
“I keep files on everyone around me.”
“That’s comforting.”
“It’s why I’m still alive.”
I flipped through the pages.
Only four people had access to my full schedule.
Marco.
Luca.
Me.
And Sofia Valenti.
Luca’s cousin.
His chief legal adviser.
My friend.
I stopped breathing.
“No.”
Luca saw where my eyes had landed.
“Elena.”
“No.”
“Sofia accessed your schedule three times this week.”
“She was helping me with the Hawthorne audit.”
“She also downloaded Caroline’s address six days ago.”
“She sent Caroline flowers.”
“I know.”
I looked at him.
“You’re suggesting Sofia sold me to Mercer?”
“I’m suggesting evidence is evidence even when we hate it.”
The office door opened.
Sofia walked in wearing a long black evening dress and irritation on her face.
“What emergency requires dragging me out of a donor dinner?”
Then she saw me.
“Elena?”
She rushed forward.
“Oh my God. Are you okay?”
I stepped backward.
She stopped.
“What?”
Luca closed the door.
“Sofia, where is Caroline Russo?”
Her face changed.
Only for half a second.
But I saw it.
“I don’t know.”
Luca’s voice remained quiet.
“Wrong answer.”
“Excuse me?”
“You accessed Elena’s personal file.”
“For legal compliance.”
“You downloaded her sister’s address.”
“She was listed as an emergency contact.”
“And Ethan’s school?”
Silence.
Sofia looked at me.
“Elena, whatever Luca thinks—”
“Did you tell Mercer about my family?”
“No.”
“Sofia.”
“No!”
She turned toward Luca.
“You’re looking for a traitor because Mercer humiliated you tonight.”
“He kidnapped a child.”
“And you think I helped?”
“I think you’re lying.”
Sofia laughed once.
“You always did prefer suspicion over intelligence.”
Luca’s eyes hardened.
Then I noticed something.
Sofia’s clutch bag.
A corner of white paper stuck out from the top.
I recognized the blue border.
Hawthorne Foundation stationery.
“Sofia.”
She looked at me.
“What?”
“Why do you have a gala security card?”
Her hand moved toward the bag.
Marco entered from the hall.
Sofia’s expression collapsed.
She ran.
Marco caught her before she reached the door.
“Let go of me!”
A phone fell from her clutch.
Not her normal phone.
A second one.
Luca picked it up.
Sofia stopped fighting.
That told us everything.
“Unlock it,” Luca said.
“No.”
“Sofia.”
“I said no.”
Luca held the phone out to me.
“Try Shaw’s birthday.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Just try.”
I entered the date from Shaw’s personnel file.
The phone unlocked.
Sofia went pale.
The messages were there.
Months of them.
Payments.
Schedules.
Locations.
Photographs of documents from Luca’s office.
But one message stopped me.
After Mercer gets the accounts, Valenti is finished. You promised me control of the legitimate companies.
I looked up.
“You weren’t helping Mercer because he threatened you.”
Sofia said nothing.
“You wanted Luca’s businesses.”
Her jaw tightened.
“I built half of them.”
“You were paid millions.”
“I was still his employee.”
Luca leaned against the desk.
“You wanted my chair.”
“I wanted what I earned.”
“You sold Elena.”
“She was supposed to give Shaw passwords.”
“He attacked me!”
“That wasn’t the arrangement.”
I slapped her.
The sound cracked through the room.
Marco looked away.
Sofia touched her cheek.
“You self-righteous little—”
I stepped closer.
“My nephew is eight.”
“I never told Mercer to take him.”
“You gave him the address.”
She had no answer.
Luca picked up the second phone.
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then start remembering.”
Sofia looked at Luca.
“You won’t hurt me.”
“No?”
“We’re blood.”
Luca smiled without warmth.
“So is Elena’s dress.”
Silence.
Finally Sofia whispered, “Pier 19.”
Marco immediately turned.
Luca stopped him.
“Wait.”
He studied Sofia.
“Mercer abandoned Pier 19 last year.”
Her eyes flickered.
Luca smiled.
“You just lied.”
Sofia cursed.
Then Shaw’s phone rang.
Adrian Mercer.
Luca answered.
“Adrian.”
A slow voice came through the speaker.
“Luca. I hear your accountant had an unpleasant evening.”
I clenched my fists.
Mercer laughed.
“Is Elena listening?”
Luca looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Good. Elena, I have your sister.”
Caroline’s scream came faintly through the line.
I moved toward the phone.
“Caroline!”
“Elena!” she shouted. “Don’t come—”
The sound cut off.
Mercer spoke again.
“Midnight. Riverside warehouse thirty-four. Elena comes with the account keys.”
Luca’s expression didn’t change.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then she loses a sister.”
A pause.
“And you lose the only woman you’ve ever been stupid enough to love.”
My heart stopped.
I looked at Luca.
Mercer laughed.
“Oh.”
His voice lowered.
“She didn’t know.”
Then the call ended.
Neither Luca nor I spoke.
Sofia stared between us.
I finally whispered, “The only woman you’ve ever loved?”
Luca closed his eyes.
May you like
Of every secret exposed that night, that was apparently the one he had never prepared to defend.
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