Chapter 3 - The Photograph
Alexander did not touch the envelope.
For eleven years, Daniel Moretti had been the person who stood closest to him without sharing his blood.
Daniel knew where Alexander slept.
Which cars were armored.
Which judges owed favors.
Which men in the organization could be trusted.
And now he stood on the rooftop holding a photograph that said Alexander's wife had lied about the beginning of their entire relationship.
Daniel walked closer.
“I'm sorry.”
Sofia stared at him.
“Where did you get that?”
“That matters to you?”
“Yes.”
“It should matter to him.”
Alexander extended his hand.
Daniel gave him the photograph.
Alexander looked.
There was no mistake.
His father, Lorenzo Russo.
Older.
Gray beginning at the temples.
Standing outside what appeared to be a private airfield.
Beside him stood Sofia.
Younger.
Hair shorter.
Black jacket.
No smile.
Alexander turned the photo over.
A date.
Seven years earlier.
Two years before Sofia claimed she had ever heard Alexander's name.
“You knew him,” Alexander said.
Sofia looked at the ground.
“Yes.”
Marco laughed nervously.
“This gets better every minute.”
Alexander ignored him.
“You told me you'd never met anyone in my family.”
“I know.”
“So that was a lie.”
“Yes.”
The simplicity of her answer hurt more than an excuse.
Alexander nodded once.
Gabriel watched them with open satisfaction.
“Now we're getting somewhere.”
Sofia looked at Alexander.
“I was assigned to protect your father.”
Alexander's eyes lifted.
“What?”
“In Vienna.”
“My father died in Chicago.”
“He spent six months overseas before that.”
Alexander remembered.
His father had called it business expansion.
Alexander had been twenty-five and angry at the world.
He hadn't asked questions.
Sofia continued.
“Lorenzo learned that several organizations were laundering money through humanitarian foundations. He wanted proof.”
Gabriel interrupted.
“He wanted leverage.”
Sofia looked at him.
“Both can be true.”
Alexander looked at the picture again.
“My father hired you.”
“Not exactly.”
“Then explain.”
Sofia inhaled.
“I worked for a private intelligence unit. Your father was cooperating with us.”
“And the ledger?”
“He helped obtain it.”
“You said you destroyed it.”
“I thought I did.”
Gabriel laughed softly.
Alexander turned.
“Enough.”
Gabriel raised his hands.
“By all means.”
Alexander looked back at Sofia.
“Why marry me?”
Sofia's eyes glistened.
“Because five years ago someone started searching for the ledger again.”
“And?”
“I followed the trail.”
“To me.”
“Yes.”
“So when we met at the museum fundraiser—”
“Wasn't an accident.”
Alexander looked away.
For the first time that night, his composure cracked.
Only slightly.
But Sofia saw it.
“That night was arranged,” she said. “What happened after wasn't.”
“Convenient.”
“I know.”
“You knew exactly who I was.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my father.”
“Yes.”
“And you approached me because you thought I had something you needed.”
“Yes.”
Every answer became another cut.
Sofia took one step toward him.
“Alexander.”
He moved back.
That hurt her visibly.
Gabriel smiled.
Sofia turned on him.
“You wanted this.”
“I wanted honesty.”
“No. You wanted division.”
Gabriel shrugged.
“Same tool. Different purpose.”
Daniel stood quietly nearby.
Sofia looked toward him.
“You brought the photograph at exactly the right moment.”
Daniel frowned.
“What are you suggesting?”
“That you've had it longer than tonight.”
Alexander looked at Daniel.
Daniel hesitated.
Too long.
“How long?” Alexander asked.
Daniel said nothing.
“Daniel.”
“Three months.”
Sofia stared at him.
“You knew?”
“I was trying to verify it.”
“And never told him?”
“I needed proof.”
Sofia laughed once.
“That's rich.”
Daniel stepped toward her.
“I don't take lectures on loyalty from someone who built a marriage on surveillance.”
Sofia's face hardened.
Alexander raised a hand.
Both stopped.
He looked exhausted now.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
“Everyone seems to have decided what I deserve to know.”
Nobody answered.
Alexander turned toward Gabriel.
“You kidnapped my wife.”
Gabriel nodded.
“You manipulated Marco.”
“Yes.”
“You brought Sofia's sister.”
“Yes.”
“You arranged Daniel's arrival?”
Daniel frowned.
“No.”
Gabriel smiled.
Alexander saw it.
“Interesting.”
Daniel turned toward Gabriel.
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” Sofia said, “he didn't know you were coming.”
Daniel stared.
Gabriel's expression remained calm.
Sofia looked at Alexander.
“Somebody else called Daniel.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
Alexander asked, “Who?”
Daniel reached into his pocket.
He showed Alexander his phone.
One message.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
BRING THE LORENZO PHOTO TO THE ROOFTOP IF YOU WANT ALEXANDER TO SURVIVE.
Sofia's eyes sharpened.
“When?”
“Forty minutes ago.”
“Before they took me?”
Daniel checked.
“Yes.”
Everyone became quiet.
Gabriel's smile finally disappeared.
Alexander noticed.
“You didn't send it.”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Gabriel didn't answer.
Elena spoke for the first time in several minutes.
“We need to leave.”
Sofia looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Gabriel doesn't control this anymore.”
Gabriel turned sharply.
“Elena.”
She ignored him.
Sofia approached her sister.
“What aren't you telling me?”
Elena looked toward the helicopter.
“There's a second team.”
Alexander scanned the rooftop.
“Where?”
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
Elena looked at him.
“Your house.”
Alexander's face changed.
Sofia went pale.
Alexander's home contained very little he valued.
Except one thing.
His younger sister Isabella and her eight-year-old son had been staying there since Isabella's divorce.
Alexander pulled out his phone.
No signal.
He looked toward Gabriel.
“You jammed the rooftop.”
“Yes.”
“Turn it off.”
Gabriel nodded toward one of his men.
The man moved toward an equipment case.
Before he reached it, the rooftop lights died.
Darkness.
Someone shouted.
A gun fired.
Then another.
Alexander moved toward where Sofia had been standing.
His hand found her arm.
She was already moving.
“Down,” she whispered.
They dropped behind the overturned chair.
Emergency lights flickered red.
Marco screamed.
The helicopter engine suddenly began turning over.
Alexander looked toward it.
Gabriel shouted, “Who started that?”
Nobody answered.
The rotors began moving.
Elena appeared beside Sofia.
“We have thirty seconds.”
“To what?”
“Before whoever planned this locks the building.”
Alexander looked toward the stairwell.
Daniel was there.
Holding the door.
“Move!”
Alexander grabbed Sofia's hand.
They ran.
Elena followed.
Behind them, Gabriel shouted orders.
Marco's men scattered.
They reached the stairwell.
Daniel slammed the door.
The helicopter roared above them.
Alexander pulled out his phone.
Signal returned immediately.
Nine missed calls.
All from Isabella.
His stomach dropped.
He called.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then a text arrived.
ISABELLA:
Alex, somebody is inside the house.
A second message appeared.
ISABELLA:
They know about Dad's room.
Alexander stopped.
Sofia looked at the screen.
“Dad's room?”
Daniel stared at him.
Alexander's father had maintained one private study nobody entered after his death.
Alexander had sealed it.
For twelve years.
Sofia whispered, “The ledger.”
Alexander looked at her.
“You think it's there.”
“I think whoever sent Daniel the message does.”
The phone rang.
Isabella.
Alexander answered instantly.
“Bella?”
She whispered.
“They're upstairs.”
“Where are you?”
“In the pantry with Nico.”
“Stay there.”
“I heard them say your wife's name.”
Sofia froze.
Alexander asked, “What did they say?”
Isabella's breathing shook.
“They said she knows where the key is.”
Sofia's eyes widened.
Alexander looked at her.
“What key?”
She didn't answer.
“Sofia.”
Before she could speak, Isabella whispered through the phone:
May you like
“Alex... someone just opened the pantry door.”
Then the line went dead.
