Chapter 3 - The Photograph That Should Not Exist
The photograph fell from Dominic Rossi’s hand.
I caught it before it touched the floor.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Not Dominic.
Not Marco.
Not me.
The only sound in the room was the storm outside.
I looked down at the picture again.
It was me.
Younger.
Maybe five years ago.
Standing outside a hospital entrance.
I remembered that day.
I remembered the gray coat I was wearing.
I remembered holding a coffee cup in my hand.
But I didn’t remember anyone taking that picture.
And I definitely didn’t remember Dominic Rossi being there.
“What is this?” I asked.
My voice sounded different.
Smaller.
Less certain.
Dominic stared at the photograph like it was something dangerous.
Because maybe it was.
“Where did you get this?” I asked Marco.
He looked at Dominic first.
That made my stomach tighten.
“Answer me.”
Marco remained silent.
Dominic finally spoke.
“Leave us.”
Marco frowned.
“Boss—”
“Now.”
The older man hesitated.
Then he walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he looked at me.
Not with suspicion anymore.
With concern.
That scared me even more.
The door closed.
I turned back to Dominic.
“You knew my name before I arrived.”
He said nothing.
“You knew I would come here.”
Silence.
“You knew something about me.”
His jaw tightened.
“Clara.”
“No.”
I stepped back.
“No, you don’t get to do that.”
His eyes met mine.
“You hired me because I was desperate.”
“Yes.”
“But you knew who I was.”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
I noticed.
“You’re lying.”
For the first time, Dominic looked almost offended.
“I don’t lie.”
“Everyone lies.”
“Not me.”
I held up the photograph.
“Then explain this.”
He looked away.
And that was the moment I knew.
The most feared man in the city had no problem facing enemies with guns.
But he was afraid of answering my question.
“Five years ago,” he finally said, “someone saved my life.”
I didn’t speak.
“Someone I thought was gone.”
My grip tightened around the photo.
“And that person was connected to me?”
Dominic looked at the picture.
“No.”
A pause.
“Connected to my past.”
I waited.
But he stopped.
That made me angry.
“You brought me into this house.”
His expression changed.
“I didn’t.”
“What?”
“I didn’t choose you.”
The room went cold.
“Then who did?”
Dominic didn’t answer.
I already knew.
Someone else had arranged everything.
Someone had made sure I walked into his bedroom.
Someone had known exactly when I would need money.
Exactly when I would say yes.
“Why me?” I whispered.
Dominic looked at me.
“I don’t know.”
That answer surprised me.
Because it sounded honest.
“I don’t believe you.”
“You shouldn’t.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re smarter than everyone who came before you.”
I almost laughed.
“Six nurses quit because they thought you were dangerous.”
“They were right.”
The honesty in his voice stopped me.
He wasn’t pretending to be innocent.
He knew exactly what people said about him.
Maybe he even believed it.
“You think you deserve to die,” I said.
His expression changed slightly.
“That’s not what I said.”
“You didn’t have to.”
The room went quiet.
For a moment, Dominic looked away.
Then he said something I didn’t expect.
“My sister died because of me.”
I froze.
I had heard rumors about Dominic Rossi.
About violence.
About power.
About enemies.
But never about a sister.
“What happened?”
His eyes darkened.
“Five years ago, I made a mistake.”
“What kind of mistake?”
“One that cost someone their life.”
I waited for more.
He didn’t give it.
I hated that.
But I understood something.
Dominic Rossi carried his guilt like a second wound.
A wound nobody could see.
Before I could ask anything else, the bedroom door opened.
A young woman rushed inside.
She looked terrified.
“Dominic.”
He immediately recognized her.
“Eva.”
She looked at me.
Then at the photograph in my hand.
Her face changed.
“You found it.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“What did you say?”
Eva stopped.
Too late.
The room became silent.
Dominic slowly sat up.
“Who gave you that photograph?”
Eva swallowed.
“I thought you already knew.”
“Knew what?”
She looked at me.
Then back at him.
“Clara isn’t here by accident.”
My heart dropped.
I already knew.
But hearing someone else say it made it real.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Eva looked uncomfortable.
“Your mother…”
I froze.
“My mother?”
Dominic looked sharply at her.
“Don’t.”
But Eva continued.
“She knew Dominic.”
The air disappeared from the room.
I stared at her.
“My mother died when I was twelve.”
“I know.”
“How would she know him?”
Nobody answered.
Then Dominic said quietly:
“Because she was the only person who knew what happened that night.”
“What night?”
His eyes moved to the window.
The storm outside reflected across his face.
“The night my sister died.”
I felt a chill.
My mother.
Dominic’s sister.
The attack.
The photograph.
They were connected.
And somehow I was standing in the middle of it.
“I want the truth,” I said.
Dominic looked at me.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No.”
His voice became softer.
“You think the truth will make things easier.”
He looked at the photograph.
“It won’t.”
Eva stepped closer.
“Dominic…”
He raised his hand.
Stopping her.
Then he looked at me.
“There is something you need to know.”
“What?”
He reached toward the drawer beside the bed.
Inside was a small box.
Old.
Damaged.
He opened it.
And pulled out a letter.
My name was written on the front.
Not printed.
Handwritten.
My blood turned cold.
“That’s impossible.”
Dominic looked at me.
“I thought so too.”
I didn’t move.
My name.
My handwriting.
A letter I had never seen.
“How long have you had that?”
“Five years.”
“Why didn’t you give it to me?”
“Because I didn’t know where you were.”
I stared at him.
“You’re saying someone left a letter for me in your possession five years ago?”
“Yes.”
“And you never looked for me?”
His silence answered.
I felt anger rising.
“You knew something about my life and you did nothing?”
“I tried.”
The words came out quietly.
“I failed.”
I looked away.
I didn’t know what to believe anymore.
The man everyone feared was sitting in front of me with secrets that somehow involved my family.
And I had no idea which parts were lies.
Then my phone rang.
Everyone froze.
Nobody called me.
Not here.
Not at this number.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown caller.
Dominic immediately became alert.
“Don’t answer.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
His eyes locked onto mine.
“Because nobody should have that number.”
The phone kept ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then a message appeared.
One sentence.
My hands started shaking.
I showed Dominic the screen.
His face changed instantly.
The message said:
“Ask Dominic what really happened to your mother.”
The bedroom door suddenly unlocked.
May you like
From the outside.
Someone was already inside the mansion.
