Chapter 6: The Price of Silence
Mara snatched up the phone.
“What have you done?”
Sienna’s face changed for only a moment.
Then she reached for it.
“That is my phone.”
“My mother’s address is on it.”
“I’ve never met your mother.”
Dante read the message over Mara’s shoulder.
“Reid, send a team to Yonkers.”
“No.” Mara gripped his sleeve.
“If they see anyone—”
“You are not going alone.”
Sienna folded her arms.
“This is exactly what she wants.
Chaos, attention, and you rushing to rescue her.”
Mara stepped toward her.
“Tell me who sent that message.”
“I don’t know.”
“You weren’t surprised.”
“Why should I be?
You’ve spent years building secrets.”
Dante’s phone rang.
He put it on speaker.
“Mara?” her mother said.
“Mom, are you all right?”
“A man is outside.
He says Dante sent him to repair my lock.”
“No one sent a repairman,” Dante said.
“Stay away from the door.”
A heavy knock sounded through the call.
“Mara,” her mother whispered, “why is this happening again?”
Mara’s knees nearly folded.
“Again?” Dante asked.
Her mother’s voice cracked.
“After that law firm, men waited outside for weeks.
She promised me she was finished chasing powerful people.”
“I was trying to prove fraud,” Mara said.
“And I begged you to stop.
I couldn’t lose you too.”
Mara pressed a hand over her mouth.
Petra moved beside her and held her upright.
“You won’t lose her,” Petra said toward the phone.
“I’m with Mara.
I won’t leave her.”
Reid spoke into his radio.
“My people are on the stairwell.
Mrs.
Ellison, go to the bathroom and lock the door.”
The line went quiet except for her mother’s breathing.
Then another voice came through the speaker.
“Hallway secure,” a guard said.
“The man ran.
Mrs.
Ellison is safe.”
Mara’s breath broke.
Petra wrapped both arms around her as tears ran down Mara’s face.
“She’s safe,” Petra whispered.
“Listen to me.
Your mother is safe.”
Dante placed his hand over Mara’s shaking fingers.
“I should have seen what was happening in my own home,” he said.
“You saw what people wanted you to see.”
“And you?”
“I learned to disappear.”
He looked at her uniform.
“That kept you safe?”
“No.
It only made being hurt quieter.”
A chime sounded from the private elevator.
Two city detectives stepped into the penthouse with a warrant.
“We received a report concerning stolen financial property,” the older detective said.
“We need to search Mara Ellison’s belongings.”
Sienna gave a small gasp.
“How terrible.”
Mara turned on her.
“You called them.”
“I protected Dante’s property.”
The detectives opened Mara’s staff locker.
Inside her canvas bag, beneath a folded sweater, they found a diamond ring.
Sienna covered her mouth.
“I knew it.”
Dante picked up the velvet case from the dining table.
It was still empty.
The detective held the recovered ring beneath the light.
“Ms.
Ellison, you’ll need to come with us.”
Mara stared at Dante.
“I didn’t put that there.”
“I know,” he said.
“But knowing isn’t proof,” Sienna replied.
“Isn’t that what housekeepers are always told?”
The detective reached for Mara’s wrist.
Mara leaned closer to the ring and saw three tiny numbers engraved beneath the setting.
“Wait.”
Everyone stopped.
“That isn’t the ring from the coffee pot,” she said.
“The serial number is wrong.”
Reid checked the number against his tablet.
Mara looked directly at Sienna.
May you like
“This is a copy.
And only the person who ordered the real ring would know how to make it.”
