Chapter 3 - My Father’s Last Warning
I opened the envelope inside Dominic’s private office two hours later.
One sentence was written inside.
Rose knows where I hid the truth.
Rose.
My mother.
I looked at Dominic.
“My mother knows?”
“Apparently.”
“Take me home.”
Dominic nodded.
We arrived at my mother’s apartment just after midnight.
The front door was open.
I ran.
“Mom!”
Dominic caught my arm.
“Wait.”
“My mother is inside.”
“Which is exactly why you wait.”
His bodyguard entered first.
Thirty seconds later:
“Clear.”
I rushed inside.
The living room had been destroyed.
Drawers dumped.
Cushions cut.
Photographs scattered across the floor.
My mother appeared from the hallway holding a baseball bat.
“Daisy?”
“Mom!”
She dropped the bat.
“What are you doing here?”
Then she saw Dominic.
Her face changed.
“You.”
Dominic stopped.
“Mrs. Bennett.”
“You’re Anthony Vance’s son.”
“Yes.”
“Get out.”
“Mom?”
She pointed at him.
“His family destroyed ours.”
Dominic didn’t argue.
“I know.”
That silenced her.
I showed her Dad’s note.
“Mom, what is Pier Nineteen?”
Her face went pale.
“Where did you get this?”
“Dominic.”
She sat slowly.
“Your father knew he was being watched.”
“Why?”
“He found records showing Cole had been stealing from Anthony Vance while using Vance warehouses for illegal shipments.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“What records?”
“Dates. Payments. Names.”
“The ledger?”
She nodded.
“Michael copied it.”
“Where is it?”
My mother looked at me.
“Your father hid it where nobody would search.”
“Where?”
“In something he knew we’d never throw away.”
She walked toward the kitchen.
From the highest cabinet, she removed an old metal recipe box.
I almost laughed.
“Dad’s recipes?”
“He cooked every Sunday.”
She opened it.
Behind the recipe cards was a false metal panel.
Inside sat a small black notebook.
Dominic stared at it.
“That’s it.”
My mother handed it to me.
Before I could open it—
Glass shattered.
Dominic pulled me down.
“Floor.”
A brick landed across the room.
Wrapped around it was a note.
Dominic’s bodyguards rushed outside.
Nobody was there.
I unfolded the message.
MIDNIGHT TOMORROW. PIER NINETEEN. BRING THE LEDGER.
My mother whispered, “Cole.”
Dominic took the note.
“He won’t wait until tomorrow.”
“What do we do?”
“We move your family.”
“No.”
Dominic looked at me.
“No?”
“We finish this.”
“This isn't a restaurant argument, Daisy.”
“I know.”
“You don't understand what Cole is capable of.”
“And you don't understand what twelve years of believing a lie feels like.”
He went quiet.
“My father deserves the truth.”
“He does.”
“So help me prove it.”
Dominic studied me.
Then looked at the ledger.
“There are judges in here. Police. Contractors.”
My mother whispered, “That’s why Michael was killed.”
Dominic closed the book.
“And that’s why Cole is terrified.”
I looked directly at him.
“Then let’s make him more terrified.”
For the first time that night, Dominic smiled.
“There’s the waitress who insulted me over the specials.”
“Are you ever going to forget that?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because tomorrow night I may need you to remember I don't take orders.”
His smile disappeared.
“Tomorrow night you absolutely take orders.”
“We'll see.”
He exhaled.
“This is going to be a very long night.”
May you like
He had no idea.
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