Chapter 5 - THE VAULT
“No!”
Sophia ran toward the door.
Lorenzo caught her.
“Where are you going?”
“They have Mia!”
She shoved the phone into his hand.
His face hardened.
“How?”
“Your driver—”
“Carlo must have intercepted him.”
Sophia struggled against Lorenzo.
“Let me go!”
“Running outside will get you killed.”
“That’s my daughter!”
“And I’m going to get her back.”
“You don’t know that!”
Lorenzo grabbed her shoulders.
His voice dropped.
“I have a daughter too.”
Sophia stopped fighting.
Their eyes met.
For the first time, Lorenzo wasn’t the billionaire employer.
He was a terrified parent.
Valentina watched them.
Then laughed.
“You’re both already too late.”
Sophia turned.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Lorenzo raised the gun.
Valentina’s smile faded.
“Where?”
“Carlo doesn’t answer to me.”
“Then who does he answer to?”
She said nothing.
Lorenzo unlocked the vault.
Rows of metal cabinets lined the underground room.
There were hard drives.
Ledgers.
Passports.
Photographs.
Shipping manifests.
Stacks of cash.
Enough evidence to build a criminal prosecution before breakfast.
Lorenzo opened one ledger.
His face went white.
“This is my father’s handwriting.”
Sophia looked over his shoulder.
Dates.
Container numbers.
Payments.
Names of officials.
And beside several entries, the initials V.M.
“Who is V.M.?” she asked.
Lorenzo shut the book.
“My uncle.”
“Victor Moretti?”
“He retired ten years ago.”
Valentina laughed again.
“No, he didn’t.”
Lorenzo turned toward her.
“You’ve been working for Victor?”
Valentina leaned against the wall.
“You really are your mother’s son. She never understood the family either.”
“What is Victor moving through my company?”
“Anything people pay enough to hide.”
Sophia found a folder marked PIER 12 — INCIDENTS.
Her hands shook.
Inside was Daniel’s photograph.
Employee ID 44871.
Beneath it:
UNAUTHORIZED OBSERVATION.
TERMINATION APPROVED.
Sophia couldn’t breathe.
She read the next line.
Execution handled by C. Bianchi.
She fell against the cabinet.
Daniel had not died in an accident.
Carlo had killed him.
Lorenzo saw the page.
“Sophia…”
“Don’t.”
Her voice cracked.
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry.”
Valentina shrugged.
“Your husband should have minded his own business.”
Sophia crossed the room so fast Valentina barely reacted.
She slapped her.
Hard.
Valentina hit the wall.
“That was for Daniel.”
Sophia slapped her again.
“And that’s for threatening Mia.”
Valentina smiled through a split lip.
“You’ll never see her again.”
Lorenzo stepped between them.
His phone rang.
Unknown caller.
He answered.
A calm male voice said, “Lorenzo.”
Lorenzo went rigid.
“Uncle Victor.”
Sophia’s blood turned cold.
Victor chuckled.
“So you finally opened your father’s little confession box.”
“Where is the girl?”
“Which girl?”
“Don’t play games.”
“I’m not playing, nephew.”
A pause.
Then Mia’s crying voice came through the phone.
“Mommy?”
Sophia lunged for it.
“Mia!”
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
Sophia started sobbing.
“I’m coming, baby.”
Victor returned.
“Bring me the vault records.”
“Where?”
“Pier Twelve.”
Lorenzo looked at Sophia.
Victor added one more instruction.
“And bring Valentina.”
May you like
Valentina’s smile disappeared.
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