Chapter 6 - The Betrayal at Midnight
Marco went pale.
“My brother is in Boston.”
Adrian handed him the phone.
“Apparently not.”
The man on the screen was Daniel Russo, Marco's younger brother.
He had worked occasionally with DeLuca security.
He knew the estate.
He knew the cameras.
And he knew Adrian's routines.
Marco immediately called him.
No answer.
“Stay here,” Adrian told Charlotte.
She shook her head.
“We've done this.”
“This time listen.”
“No.”
“Charlotte.”
“If somebody inside your own security team is involved, splitting up is exactly what they want.”
Marco nodded reluctantly.
“She has a point.”
Adrian looked betrayed.
“Don't encourage her.”
They reached the office.
Empty.
The safe was open.
Adrian checked inside.
“What did he take?” Charlotte asked.
“Nothing.”
Marco frowned.
“Then why open it?”
Charlotte looked around.
“He wasn't stealing.”
Adrian understood.
“He was leaving something.”
Inside the safe was a phone.
It rang.
Adrian answered.
Thomas Vale's voice came through.
“You've grown into your father, Adrian.”
“Where is Sofia?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“I didn't survive this long by harming children.”
“She isn't a child.”
“To me, everyone your age is.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“What do you want?”
“Elena's evidence.”
“You killed her.”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Adrian froze.
“You expect me to believe you?”
“I expect nothing. But Victor didn't kill her either.”
Charlotte watched Adrian.
“Then who did?”
Thomas laughed without humor.
“You've spent five years looking outward.”
A pause.
“You should have looked at the man who benefited most from keeping you and Victor at war.”
Adrian looked at Marco.
Marco shook his head.
Thomas continued.
“Midnight. Pier 17. Bring the memory card.”
The call ended.
Adrian immediately turned to Marco.
“Find Daniel.”
“I will.”
“No.”
Marco stopped.
“You're staying with me.”
Understanding crossed his face.
“You don't trust me.”
“I trust evidence.”
The words hurt him.
Charlotte could see it.
But Marco nodded.
“As you should.”
They had six hours.
Charlotte spent part of them with her mother.
Margaret wanted her to leave the city.
Charlotte refused.
“You're falling for him,” Margaret said.
Charlotte nearly choked.
“What?”
“I've been your mother twenty-nine years.”
“He's complicated.”
“That wasn't a denial.”
“He has people trying to destroy him.”
“I dated your father while he had three jobs and a motorcycle that caught fire twice.”
“That isn't comparable.”
“No. Your father was worse at returning phone calls.”
Charlotte laughed.
Then Margaret took her hand.
“Power doesn't tell you whether a man is good, Charlotte. Watch what he does when protecting himself costs someone else.”
That stayed with her.
At eleven-thirty, Adrian prepared to leave.
Charlotte stopped him.
“You aren't trading evidence for Sofia.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Elena died protecting it.”
“Sofia is alive.”
“You could lose everything.”
“I can rebuild companies.”
His answer was immediate.
“I can't rebuild a person.”
Charlotte stared at him.
Her mother's words echoed.
Watch what he does.
Now she knew.
Adrian noticed her expression.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That's clearly something.”
Charlotte stepped closer.
“You're not who I expected.”
“Neither are you.”
“What did you expect?”
“A diner waitress who made reckless decisions.”
“I am a diner waitress who makes reckless decisions.”
“No.”
His eyes held hers.
“You're Charlotte.”
It was absurd how much two words could mean.
She kissed him.
This time there was no audience.
No lie.
No danger forcing them together.
Adrian froze exactly as he had in the alley.
Then his hand touched her cheek.
The kiss remained soft.
Brief.
When they separated, he looked almost stunned.
“Still calling me Tommy?”
“Don't ruin it.”
A smile appeared.
Then disappeared as midnight approached.
At Pier 17, Adrian brought the memory card.
Charlotte remained in a secured car with Marco despite arguing for ten minutes.
Thomas Vale appeared beneath the warehouse lights.
He was nearly seventy.
Elegant.
Gray-haired.
Calm.
Sofia stood beside him.
Unharmed.
Daniel Russo stood behind them.
Marco whispered, “Daniel.”
His brother looked toward the car.
Shame crossed his face.
Adrian walked forward.
“Let her go.”
“Card first,” Thomas said.
Adrian held it up.
“Tell me who killed Elena.”
Thomas studied him.
“Nobody murdered your sister.”
Adrian stopped.
“She discovered the betrayal. She was driving to meet your father. Her brakes had been tampered with.”
“That is murder.”
“Yes.”
“But the target wasn't Elena.”
Thomas looked directly at him.
“It was you.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“You were supposed to drive that car.”
Charlotte felt cold.
Thomas continued.
“Elena changed vehicles with you that afternoon.”
Adrian took one step back.
Someone had tried to kill him.
Elena had died instead.
“Who?”
Thomas looked toward Daniel.
Daniel shook his head desperately.
“I didn't know, Adrian.”
“Who?”
Thomas finally said:
“Your father.”
Silence.
Adrian stared.
“My father was already sick.”
“He was also desperate. He believed you were going to expose what the family had become. He ordered Vale Security to frighten you into obedience. Someone altered his order.”
“Who?”
Thomas looked past Adrian.
Toward the parked car.
Toward Marco.
Charlotte's stomach dropped.
Marco whispered, “No.”
Then Thomas said:
“The order was changed by the only man your father trusted enough to sign for him.”
Marco opened the car door.
Adrian turned.
Marco's face had gone white.
“My father.”
Thomas nodded.
“Your father, Samuel Russo.”
Marco stared at him.
“My father died eight years ago.”
“No,” Thomas said.
A figure stepped from the dark warehouse doorway.
Older.
Walking with a cane.
Marco stopped breathing.
May you like
The man looked directly at his sons.
“Hello, boys.”
