Chapter 5: The Child They Tried to Erase
Matteo wrapped his jacket around Sophie’s face while Victor pulled the fire alarm.
“It’s not connected,” Victor said.
“Alisandre had the old system disabled last month.”
“Back window,” Lena ordered.
“There isn’t one.”
Matteo kicked open the service hatch leading to the loading bay.
Ruth climbed through first, then reached back for Sophie.
“Come to me, darling,” she said.
“I won’t let go.”
Lena passed Sophie into her arms.
Matteo pushed Victor through before following Lena into the alley.
A black car waited beneath the loading light.
Alisandre leaned against its door, untouched by the smoke.
“You always were difficult to frighten, Matteo.”
Lena walked toward her with Nora’s letter clenched in her hand.
“You tried to take Sophie.”
“I sent a driver.”
“You locked a child inside a smoking building.”
Alisandre examined one diamond bracelet.
“Prove it.”
Matteo held up his phone.
“She won’t have to.
You just admitted sending the driver.”
Alisandre’s cousin stepped from behind the car and knocked the phone from Matteo’s hand.
It shattered against the pavement.
Alisandre smiled.
“Now she will.”
“You’re afraid of Sophie,” Lena said.
“Why?”
“I’m not afraid of a child.”
“Then why was Nora followed?”
“Because Nora stole documents.”
“She found documents proving Gabriel had a daughter.”
Alisandre’s smile disappeared.
Matteo took the laboratory report from Lena.
“Under my grandfather’s trust, Gabriel’s legal child owns twenty-five percent of Duca Holdings.”
“And blocks any merger with the Vitalis,” Lena said.
Alisandre opened the car door.
“That report proves nothing.”
“It carries Gabriel’s verified sample and Sophie’s result.”
“Then name your price.”
Lena stared at her.
“My price?”
“A house.
A private school for Sophie.
Enough money that you never clean another floor.” Alisandre leaned closer.
“Give me the report and say you mistook a vitamin capsule for something dangerous.”
“You humiliated me because you thought I was poor enough to buy.”
“No.
I humiliated you because people reveal themselves when they’re ashamed.
You looked at the capsule.
Matteo looked at you.
That told me everything.”
Matteo stepped between them.
“The engagement is over.”
“You don’t have that authority.”
“I just used it.”
“My father controls the banks financing your company.
By morning, every Duca account will be frozen.”
“Freeze them.”
Alisandre’s face hardened.
“And when your employees lose their homes?”
“Don’t pretend you care about workers.
You tried to frame one tonight.”
She looked past him to Sophie.
“Gabriel never acknowledged that child.”
Sophie tightened her grip on Ruth’s hand.
Lena raised Nora’s letter.
“Her mother did.”
Sirens sounded at the end of the block.
Alisandre slid into the car.
“You should read the second page,” she called through the open window.
“Nora didn’t trust Matteo either.”
The car sped away.
Lena unfolded the letter.
A second sheet had been stuck behind the first.
May you like
One sentence was underlined twice:
IF MATTEO SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HIS FATHER ORDERED, HE IS LYING.
