Chapter 5 - The Name Dominic Was Never Supposed to Hear
Dominic moved Lily behind him.
Luca drew his weapon.
Arthur pulled Elena toward the pantry wall.
The kitchen door opened.
Sebastian Vale stood there.
His hospital gown was hidden beneath a dark coat.
A bandage crossed his forehead.
His broken wrist was wrapped against his chest.
Dominic stared.
“How did you get here?”
Sebastian leaned against the frame.
“Not easily.”
“Why are the doors locked?”
“Victor.”
“You said he attacked you.”
“He did.”
“So why are you helping him?”
Sebastian looked at the security monitor.
“I’m not.”
Victor’s face remained on screen.
He was watching.
Dominic held up the data capsule.
“What is this?”
Sebastian’s expression changed.
“Michael’s insurance.”
“What’s inside?”
“Enough to destroy Victor.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Then why didn’t Michael use it?”
“He tried.”
Sebastian looked at Elena.
“He died first.”
Lily did not understand the words.
Elena did.
Her eyes filled.
“You knew.”
Sebastian lowered his head.
“I knew Michael was trying to leave.”
“You knew Victor killed him.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“Yes.”
Elena crossed the room and slapped him.
The sound cracked through the kitchen.
Nobody moved.
Sebastian accepted it.
“You should do that again.”
Elena’s hand trembled.
“I might.”
Dominic looked toward the monitors.
“Can Victor see us?”
“Yes,” Luca said.
“Can he hear us?”
“Probably.”
Dominic walked directly toward the camera.
“Then listen carefully, Victor.”
Victor smiled from the screen.
“I’m listening.”
“You wanted the capsule.”
“I did.”
“You’re not getting it.”
“You’re sentimental tonight.”
“You kidnapped a child.”
“I never touched Lily.”
Dominic glanced at Evelyn.
She had said the same thing.
Victor continued.
“Anna staged that warehouse.”
Dominic frowned.
“What?”
“She wanted you angry.”
Evelyn said, “He’s lying.”
Victor laughed.
“Ask her.”
Dominic turned.
Evelyn hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
“You staged it?”
“To make you move.”
“You let me believe Lily was kidnapped.”
“We needed you to see Anna.”
“You could have called me.”
“Anna didn’t trust you.”
“So terrifying Elena and Lily was easier?”
“No one intended to terrify them.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“Well, congratulations.”
Dominic felt anger from every direction.
Victor.
Evelyn.
Anna.
Sebastian.
His father.
Everyone had spent years manipulating everyone else.
And Lily had somehow become the center of a war that began before she was born.
Dominic held up the capsule.
“This ends tonight.”
Victor’s smile faded.
“You don’t know what you’re holding.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“Names.”
“What names?”
“People your father controlled. People who still have power.”
“So?”
“If that archive goes public, Victor DeLuca is not the only man who falls.”
Victor referred to himself in third person deliberately, creating distance.
Dominic understood the warning.
Judges.
Agents.
Executives.
Police.
People who could retaliate.
“Then we give it to federal authorities.”
Victor laughed.
“Which ones?”
Nobody answered.
“That’s the problem,” he said. “Some of them are in the file.”
Dominic looked at Sebastian.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who does?”
Sebastian looked toward Evelyn.
She answered.
“Anna.”
Dominic’s patience vanished.
“Where is she?”
Silence.
“Enough games.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“She’s here.”
Dominic froze.
“In the mansion?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Evelyn did not answer.
Dominic stepped closer.
“My sister has been dead to me for twelve years. She called my phone. She appeared in a warehouse. She vanished again. Now you’re telling me she is somewhere inside my house.”
“Yes.”
“Take me to her.”
Evelyn nodded.
They moved through the hidden passage behind the library.
The corridor continued farther than Dominic realized.
At the end was an old steel door.
Evelyn knocked twice.
Then once.
Then twice.
The door opened.
Anna stood inside.
No shadows.
No disappearing act.
No distance.
Dominic looked at his sister.
She looked at him.
Twelve years existed between them.
Neither knew how to cross it.
Finally Dominic said, “You look terrible.”
Anna laughed through sudden tears.
“You got old.”
“So did you.”
“I noticed.”
Then Dominic hugged her.
At first Anna’s arms remained at her sides.
Then they wrapped around him.
Hard.
She began to cry.
Dominic did too.
He had not cried when the empty coffin was lowered.
He had not cried when investigators closed her case.
He cried now because grief had suddenly become unnecessary.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“I hated you for dying.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
Anna pulled back.
“For what?”
“For not finding you.”
“You tried.”
“Not enough.”
“Dominic.”
“I should have known.”
She looked at him carefully.
“No. Victor made sure neither of us knew anything.”
Dominic thought of Lily.
For not knowing.
The child had been right.
Again.
Anna wiped her face.
“Do you have Michael’s capsule?”
“Yes.”
“Then we can end this.”
“How?”
“It doesn’t contain the archive.”
Dominic frowned.
“Sebastian said—”
“Sebastian only knows part.”
“What does it contain?”
“A map.”
“To what?”
“The real evidence.”
“Where?”
Anna smiled sadly.
“Exactly where Victor would never look.”
Dominic suddenly understood.
“My house.”
“Your house.”
“Where?”
“Your father built one room Victor never knew about.”
Dominic sighed.
“Of course he did.”
Anna almost smiled.
“It’s under the chapel.”
Dominic’s mansion included a small private chapel built by the previous owner.
He had rarely used it.
They reached it through another corridor.
The capsule fit into a small circular lock beneath the altar.
A compartment opened.
Inside was a hard drive.
One hard drive.
Anna lifted it.
“This is everything.”
Victor’s voice suddenly came from behind them.
“No.”
They turned.
Victor stood in the chapel doorway.
Two armed men behind him.
Dominic looked at Luca.
Luca was not there.
Victor smiled.
“You really thought I would let you reach this point?”
Dominic moved in front of Anna.
Victor pointed his gun.
“Don’t.”
Dominic stopped.
Anna held the drive behind her back.
Victor’s eyes found her.
“You’ve caused enough trouble.”
Anna stared at him.
“You killed my father.”
Victor smiled.
“Your father was already dying.”
“You killed Michael.”
“He made a choice.”
Elena appeared at the far corridor.
“Say his name again.”
Victor turned.
His face changed when he saw her.
“Elena.”
She stood with Evelyn.
Lily was not with them.
Good.
Dominic watched Victor.
For the first time, the older man looked uncertain.
Elena stepped closer.
“You murdered Michael.”
Victor lowered the gun slightly.
“He betrayed me.”
“He was your son.”
“He was weak.”
Elena’s face changed.
Not grief.
Hatred.
“He was kinder than you.”
“That’s why he died.”
Dominic saw Anna discreetly move the hard drive toward Evelyn.
Victor noticed.
He raised the gun.
A shot exploded.
Anna fell.
Dominic lunged.
Chaos filled the chapel.
Evelyn disappeared behind the altar.
Elena screamed.
Dominic slammed Victor into the wall.
Another shot fired.
Then Luca and Bennett burst through the opposite corridor.
Victor’s men dropped their weapons.
Dominic pinned Victor to the floor.
“Anna!”
She moved.
The bullet had struck her shoulder.
Alive.
Dominic looked toward the altar.
Evelyn was gone.
So was the hard drive.
Victor began laughing.
Dominic looked down at him.
“What’s funny?”
Victor’s smile widened.
“You think Evelyn is on your side.”
Dominic’s stomach tightened.
“She is.”
“No.”
Victor coughed.
Blood touched his lip.
“You still haven’t learned.”
“Learned what?”
Victor looked toward Elena.
Then toward the hidden passage.
“The archive wasn’t built by your father.”
Dominic froze.
Victor whispered:
“Evelyn built it.”
Then the mansion alarms began screaming.
Bennett checked his radio.
“Fire.”
“Where?”
“Security room.”
Luca shouted from the doorway.
“Evelyn has Lily.”
Dominic turned.
May you like
The chapel corridor was empty.
And the hard drive was gone.
