Chapter 4 - The Question My Mother Never Wanted Me to Ask
The bedroom door opened three inches.
Leonardo moved first.
He grabbed the handle and slammed it shut.
“Back away.”
Hadley stumbled backward.
Her father caught her shoulders.
Outside, the woman laughed.
Not loudly.
Almost playfully.
“You always were protective, Leonardo.”
He didn't answer.
His eyes stayed on the door.
The woman knocked twice.
Then she whispered,
“You can't keep her forever.”
Hadley's heart hammered.
She looked at Leonardo.
“Who is she?”
He didn't respond.
“Leonardo.”
“Stay behind me.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“It’s the only one you need right now.”
Her father stepped forward.
“No.”
Leonardo glanced at him.
“Arthur is downstairs.”
The color drained from his face.
“What?”
“Your security team?”
“Not mine.”
“Then who?”
Leonardo looked toward the bedroom window.
“Someone who got here before mine.”
Hadley felt cold.
“How many?”
“I don't know.”
Her father whispered, “We have to leave.”
Leonardo nodded.
He crossed the room and pulled open the closet.
Hadley stared.
“What are you doing?”
“There's another exit.”
“There's no exit.”
“There is.”
He pushed aside several coats and pressed his palm against the wooden wall.
A hidden latch clicked.
A narrow panel opened.
Behind it was a dark passage.
Hadley stared.
“You've got to be kidding me.”
Her father gave a humorless laugh.
“Your mother built that.”
Hadley looked at him.
“My mother?”
He nodded.
“She said one day you might need it.”
Leonardo turned toward her.
“Go.”
Hadley didn't move.
“I want an answer first.”
“Later.”
“No.”
The woman outside knocked again.
“Hadley?”
Her voice was softer now.
“Sweetheart, don't let him lie to you.”
Hadley looked toward the door.
“What did she mean?”
Leonardo's face tightened.
“She wants you to doubt me.”
“Maybe I should.”
His eyes met hers.
“You should doubt everyone.”
That answer stunned her.
Even himself?
Apparently.
Leonardo stepped into the passage.
“Your father first.”
Hadley looked at him.
“My father?”
“He lied to you about your mother.”
Her father flinched.
“I did what I had to do.”
“And now she's paying for it.”
Hadley looked between them.
“Enough.”
She stepped into the passage.
The walls were narrow.
Old bricks surrounded them.
Dust covered the floor.
Her father followed.
Leonardo closed the panel behind them.
Darkness swallowed the bedroom.
Then came a loud crash.
Someone had broken through the front door downstairs.
Hadley jumped.
Leonardo caught her arm.
“Quiet.”
Footsteps rushed across the bakery.
Furniture scraped.
Glass shattered.
Someone shouted.
“Check upstairs!”
Hadley's father covered his mouth.
Leonardo pulled out his phone.
The screen lit his face.
Three messages appeared.
He read them.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Hadley whispered.
“My men are outside.”
“Then why aren't they coming in?”
“Because someone blocked the street.”
“Who?”
Leonardo looked at her.
“Richard Hale.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Why does he want me?”
“Because of your mother.”
“That's not enough.”
“It is.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“You said my mother left a file.”
“Yes.”
“You said she had a sister.”
“Yes.”
“You said she wasn't dead.”
“Yes.”
“And now some woman is telling me to ask who my real father is.”
Leonardo said nothing.
Hadley stared at him.
“Is it you?”
His eyes hardened.
“No.”
She waited.
“Then who?”
He looked away.
“Leonardo.”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
A crash sounded behind them.
Someone had found the hidden panel.
Leonardo turned.
“Move.”
They hurried deeper into the passage.
The tunnel sloped downward.
Hadley held onto the wall.
Her father struggled behind them.
After several yards, Leonardo stopped.
There was a steel door ahead.
He pulled a key from his pocket.
Hadley stared.
“You have a key?”
“I told you your mother built this.”
“That doesn't explain why you have the key.”
He unlocked the door.
“Because she gave it to me.”
The door opened.
They stepped into a small underground room.
A single emergency light flickered overhead.
There was a wooden table.
Three chairs.
An old filing cabinet.
And a large metal safe.
Hadley stared at it.
“What is this place?”
Her father answered.
“Your mother's room.”
Hadley looked at him.
“She worked down here?”
“Sometimes.”
“Doing what?”
He hesitated.
Leonardo walked toward the safe.
“She kept records.”
“Of what?”
“People.”
Hadley frowned.
“What people?”
“Everyone who threatened her.”
He pulled a folded paper from his pocket.
Hadley noticed the writing.
“What's that?”
Leonardo unfolded it.
A list.
Names.
Dates.
Addresses.
Some were crossed out.
Some had red marks beside them.
Hadley leaned closer.
Then she saw a familiar surname.
Hale.
Her hands went cold.
There were several entries.
Richard Hale.
Marcus Hale.
Arthur Voss.
And beneath them—
Leonardo Vescari.
Hadley looked up.
“Your name is here.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother was investigating me.”
“You said she trusted you.”
“She did.”
“Then why investigate you?”
Leonardo didn't answer.
Her father sat down.
“She didn't trust anyone.”
Leonardo looked at him.
“Except me.”
Hadley stared at them.
Her father shook his head.
“No.”
Leonardo's expression hardened.
“She trusted me enough to ask me to protect her daughter.”
“After what happened.”
Hadley turned toward her father.
“What happened?”
He looked at the floor.
“Your mother discovered that Richard Hale was laundering money through businesses across Chicago.”
Leonardo continued.
“She found evidence.”
“Then why didn't she go to the police?”
“She did.”
Hadley blinked.
“What?”
Leonardo's voice became quieter.
“Someone inside the police department was working for Hale.”
Hadley felt sick.
“So she disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“And you helped her?”
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
Leonardo looked at the safe.
“She gave me the file.”
“Where is it?”
He didn't answer.
Hadley understood.
“Inside the safe.”
“Yes.”
“Open it.”
Leonardo shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother didn't leave the combination with me.”
“Then who has it?”
He looked at her father.
Hadley slowly turned.
Her father's face had gone white.
“You have it.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
Leonardo stepped closer.
“Arthur gave it to you.”
“I don't remember.”
“You do.”
“I don't.”
“Your wife trusted you with the last piece.”
Hadley stared at her father.
“Dad.”
He looked at her.
“I swear I don't remember.”
Leonardo's jaw tightened.
“Then someone made you forget.”
Hadley frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“Your father was drugged.”
Her father looked at him.
“What?”
“Before your mother disappeared.”
Hadley felt dizzy.
“You never told me that.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because I woke up three days later.”
Hadley stared at him.
“You lost three days?”
Her father nodded.
“When I woke up, your mother was gone.”
“And I was still here?”
“Yes.”
“Who took care of me?”
Her father looked at Leonardo.
Hadley followed his gaze.
“You?”
Leonardo nodded.
“For three days?”
“For three weeks.”
She couldn't speak.
Her entire childhood seemed to shift.
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In this building.”
“Why don't I remember you?”
“Because your mother made me promise you would never know.”
“Why?”
“Because if you remembered me, they would know where to look.”
Hadley covered her mouth.
Then she noticed something on the wall.
A small pencil drawing.
A child.
A woman.
And a man.
The man had dark hair.
The woman had long brown hair.
The child stood between them.
Hadley stepped closer.
At the bottom were three words written in childish handwriting.
Mommy. Me. Leo.
Her heart stopped.
“You were my friend.”
Leonardo looked at the drawing.
“Yes.”
“You weren't just a stranger.”
“No.”
“You knew me.”
“Yes.”
“You've known me my whole life.”
His voice was barely audible.
“Yes.”
Hadley turned away.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Why did you let me believe you were a taxi driver?”
“Because it was safer.”
“For who?”
“For you.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
“You don't get to decide what's safe for me.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Leonardo looked at her.
“I was supposed to take you away that night.”
“What night?”
“The night your mother disappeared.”
Hadley froze.
“You were supposed to take me?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Out of Chicago.”
“Why didn't you?”
He looked toward her father.
“Because your father stopped me.”
Hadley turned.
“Dad?”
Her father couldn't meet her eyes.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“You left me here.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
Her father began crying.
Hadley had never seen him cry like that.
Not when her mother vanished.
Not when the bakery nearly failed.
Not even when her grandmother died.
He covered his face.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing you too.”
Hadley stepped closer.
“You already lost Mom.”
“I know.”
“And you lied to me for twenty years.”
“I know.”
She turned away.
Leonardo watched her silently.
Then the emergency light flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The room went dark.
A second later, the steel door slammed shut.
Hadley screamed.
“Leonardo!”
“I’m here.”
She felt his hand find hers.
“Don't move.”
A metallic sound came from the safe.
Hadley heard it.
Someone was opening it.
From inside the room.
Leonardo pulled her behind him.
Her father whispered,
“That’s impossible.”
The safe door slowly opened.
A small red light appeared inside.
Then a woman's recorded voice filled the darkness.
Hadley knew it immediately.
Her mother's voice.
“If you're hearing this, Hadley, then Leonardo failed to keep you away from the truth.”
Hadley's knees nearly gave out.
Leonardo went completely still.
The recording continued.
“I need you to listen carefully.”
A pause.
Then her mother said something that made Leonardo's face lose all color.
“Your father is not the man you think he is.”
Hadley looked at her father.
He stopped breathing.
Her mother's voice continued.
“And Leonardo knows exactly who your real father is.”
The recording clicked.
Silence.
Then a second voice came through.
A man's voice.
Deep.
Calm.
Familiar.
“Hello, Hadley.”
Leonardo's eyes widened.
Her father whispered,
“No.”
May you like
The voice spoke again.
“It's time you met your father...”
