Chapter 4 - Midnight at Harbor
Adrian did not deny it.
That frightened Emily more than denial would have.
He stared at the black screen for several seconds.
Then he called Victor Romano.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
Daniel swore quietly.
Margaret stood in the doorway.
“You trusted him.”
Adrian’s eyes remained on the phone.
“He raised me.”
“Sometimes those are the people who know exactly where to put the knife.”
Adrian looked at her.
Margaret did not flinch.
Emily thought of Victor.
His expensive gray suits.
Warm smile.
The Christmas gifts he sent her mother after Emily joined Romano Group.
The way he called Emily kiddo despite her being nearly thirty.
He had always been kind.
Perhaps that was why Rebecca’s warning felt so impossible.
“Midnight,” Emily said.
Adrian shook his head.
“You’re not going.”
“Rebecca is there because of me.”
“She’s there because someone wants leverage.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
Emily stepped closer.
“You locked a door twenty minutes ago because you thought I was in danger. Now a woman actually is in danger.”
“And I’m going.”
“The message says me.”
“Which is exactly why you’re not.”
Daniel spoke quietly.
“She may need to go.”
Adrian turned.
“No.”
“If we don’t follow instructions, Rebecca dies.”
“And if we do, Emily walks into a trap.”
Emily looked at Adrian.
“You don’t decide for me.”
His jaw tightened.
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Because you’re doing a terrible job showing it.”
He stared at her.
For a moment, the mafia boss disappeared.
There was only a man terrified of losing someone.
Then he nodded.
“You’re right.”
Emily hadn’t expected that.
“We go together,” Adrian said. “You remain visible. My people remain hidden.”
“The message says alone.”
“It needs to look that way.”
Daniel nodded.
“That could work.”
Margaret grabbed Emily’s arm.
“No.”
“Mom.”
“No. I already lost your father once.”
“I’m not Dad.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t lose you.”
Emily hugged her.
“I’m coming back.”
Margaret whispered, “You can’t promise that.”
“No.”
Emily pulled away.
“But I can promise I won’t walk in blind.”
At 11:52, Adrian’s car stopped four blocks from the Harbor warehouse.
Emily wore an earpiece.
Adrian adjusted it carefully without touching her more than necessary.
“Two taps if you can hear me.”
She tapped twice.
His voice sounded in her ear.
“If anything feels wrong, you walk.”
“Everything feels wrong.”
“More wrong.”
She looked at him.
“That is a terrible safety protocol.”
“I’m improvising.”
“Adrian Romano improvising? Historic night.”
The smallest smile touched his mouth.
Then disappeared.
He handed her a phone.
“Emergency line stays open.”
Emily took it.
“Where will you be?”
“Close.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
She exhaled.
“Bossy.”
“Frequently.”
Their eyes met.
So much existed between them that had never been spoken.
Tonight seemed determined to drag every secret into the light.
Emily turned away first.
She walked toward the warehouse.
The waterfront was deserted.
No moon.
No traffic.
Only industrial lights reflecting off black water.
The warehouse doors stood open.
Emily entered.
“Rebecca?”
No response.
Her footsteps echoed.
“Rebecca!”
A light snapped on.
Rebecca sat in the center of the floor.
Untied.
Emily stopped.
Rebecca stood.
“Don’t come closer.”
Emily’s heart accelerated.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Who brought you?”
Rebecca glanced toward the catwalk.
“I don’t know.”
“Where’s the ledger?”
Rebecca reached inside her coat.
Emily heard Adrian through the earpiece.
“Careful.”
Rebecca pulled out a small black notebook.
The ledger.
“I kept it for your mother.”
Emily stared.
“Why did someone take you?”
“They needed me to bring this.”
“Who?”
Rebecca swallowed.
“Victor.”
Emily’s chest tightened.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why would he need you? He could have taken it.”
“No.”
Rebecca held the ledger tighter.
“Your mother gave me instructions. I was never supposed to release it unless you asked voluntarily.”
Emily frowned.
“Then why are you here?”
Rebecca’s eyes filled with shame.
“They threatened my grandson.”
Emily understood immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Take it.”
Emily stepped closer.
Rebecca handed her the notebook.
The moment Emily touched it, the warehouse lights died.
Darkness.
Emily froze.
“Adrian.”
“I’m here.”
A gunshot cracked somewhere above.
Emily dropped.
Rebecca screamed.
More shots.
Adrian’s voice in her ear.
“Stay down!”
Emily crawled behind a metal crate.
Footsteps thundered overhead.
Then a man landed on the floor near her.
Adrian.
He grabbed her shoulder.
“Move.”
“What about Rebecca?”
“Vincent has her.”
They ran toward a side exit.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
Victor Romano.
Emily stopped.
Adrian positioned himself in front of her.
Victor raised both hands.
“No weapon.”
Adrian’s voice turned cold.
“You have five seconds.”
“Adrian, I didn’t bring her here.”
“Four.”
“Rebecca is wrong.”
“Three.”
“Your father trusted the wrong person.”
“Two.”
Victor shouted, “Daniel killed Salvatore!”
Everything stopped.
Emily heard her own heartbeat.
Adrian stared at Victor.
“No.”
“I saw him.”
“Lie.”
“I watched Daniel shoot your father.”
Emily’s father appeared from the opposite entrance.
His face was pale.
Adrian slowly turned toward him.
“Tell me he’s lying.”
Daniel didn’t.
Adrian moved.
Emily grabbed his arm.
“Wait!”
Victor continued.
“Salvatore arranged to meet Daniel here. They argued. Daniel fired. I arrived seconds later.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
“It wasn’t what it looked like.”
Adrian laughed once.
Dangerously.
“My father was murdered, and that’s your explanation?”
Daniel raised his hands.
“Salvatore asked me to shoot him.”
Silence.
Even Victor seemed stunned.
Adrian stared.
“What?”
“He was already dying.”
“From what?”
“Poison.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
Daniel continued.
“He discovered who controlled Harbor. They poisoned him before the meeting. He knew he had minutes.”
“So you killed him?”
“He begged me not to let them take him alive.”
Victor shook his head.
“Convenient story.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You arrived after the shot because you were following Salvatore.”
“Wrong.”
“You always were a terrible liar, Victor.”
Adrian’s gaze moved between them.
Emily opened the ledger.
Numbers.
Dates.
Initials.
Her father’s codes.
She remembered the reversal system.
She scanned the entries.
Then she saw one date.
The night Salvatore died.
Beside it were three initials.
S.R.
D.C.
V.R.
Victor Romano.
And another set.
M.C.
Emily frowned.
“M.C.?”
Daniel looked at the ledger.
His face changed.
Emily noticed immediately.
“Who is M.C.?”
No answer.
“Dad.”
Victor slowly stepped backward.
Adrian saw him.
“Don’t.”
Victor stopped.
Emily searched the page.
The initials appeared again.
And again.
Payments.
Properties.
Political donations.
Every Harbor transaction had been approved by M.C.
Emily’s stomach twisted.
“Who is it?”
Daniel finally whispered the name.
“Margaret Carter.”
Emily stared at him.
“My mother?”
Before Daniel could answer, Emily’s phone rang.
Margaret.
Emily answered.
“Mom?”
A man’s voice replied.
“No.”
Emily went cold.
“Where is my mother?”
The man chuckled.
Then he said, “Ask Daniel who Margaret Carter really was before she became your mother.”
A video arrived.
Emily opened it.
Margaret sat inside Adrian’s office.
Alone.
On the desk in front of her lay Emily’s resignation letter.
Then Margaret looked into the camera.
But she wasn’t frightened.
May you like
She smiled.
And said, “Emily, it’s time you learned why I chose Adrian for you.”
