Chapter 5 - The Empty Conservatory
The alarm sounded at 4:17 p.m.
I was twelve miles away.
Marco called first.
“Boss.”
Something in his voice made me stand.
“What happened?”
“Elena's missing.”
The room disappeared around me.
“What?”
“East garden door was opened manually. Camera system went dark for ninety-three seconds.”
I was already moving.
“Lock the property.”
“Done.”
“Every gate.”
“Done.”
“Find Lena.”
Silence.
My blood turned cold.
“Marco.”
“She's missing too.”
For one terrible second, suspicion entered my mind.
Had Lena taken her?
Had everything been manipulation?
The trust.
The paper stars.
Elena speaking.
Had someone placed Lena inside my home?
Then my phone vibrated.
A security image appeared.
One frame captured before the cameras died.
Lena running.
Elena in her arms.
Behind them—
A man.
I recognized him immediately.
Victor Salerno.
Former lieutenant.
Former friend.
The man who had ordered the attack that killed my wife.
He wasn't kidnapping Elena.
Lena was running from him.
I called Marco.
“North woods.”
“How do you know?”
“Lena knows the front gates are monitored. She'll avoid the road.”
We reached the estate eleven minutes later.
Eleven minutes can be an eternity when your child is missing.
Then one of my men shouted.
Movement near the old greenhouse.
I ran.
No jacket.
No orders.
No caution.
Just a father.
I found Lena crouched behind a collapsed stone wall.
Her dress was torn at the sleeve.
Blood marked her forehead.
Elena was beneath her coat.
Alive.
I dropped beside them.
“Elena.”
She launched herself into my arms.
“Daddy!”
I held her so tightly she protested.
Then I looked at Lena.
“Where is Salerno?”
Her eyes moved toward the greenhouse.
Marco understood.
He took six men and disappeared through the trees.
I remained with my daughter.
Minutes later, Marco returned.
“We have him.”
My old instincts awakened.
The part of Damian Moretti that had built an empire wanted to walk toward that greenhouse.
Wanted revenge.
Wanted Victor Salerno to understand exactly what touching my family cost.
Then Elena grabbed my shirt.
“Daddy stay.”
Two words.
That was all.
I looked toward Marco.
He understood.
“Police?”
I nodded.
Marco looked surprised.
Then smiled faintly.
“Police.”
For the first time in my adult life, I walked away from revenge.
May you like
Because my daughter had asked me to stay.
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