Chapter 5
Marco found the open door in the east service corridor.
The alarm contact had been cut.
Not broken.
Cut.
Cleanly.
Whoever had entered the house knew where the sensors were.
Knew the backup power delay.
Knew the service routes.
Knew I was supposed to be downstairs.
That last part stayed with me.
I sat beside Sophie on her bed while two security men searched the adjoining rooms.
Luca stood at the window, speaking to Marco over the phone.
His voice was controlled.
His hands were not.
One hand kept opening and closing at his side.
Sophie held mine.
“Mia?”
“Yes?”
“Was the man looking for you?”
I wanted to lie.
I wanted to tell her adults had everything handled.
I wanted to give her the kind of answer children deserved.
Instead, I said, “Maybe.”
She tightened her grip.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you do something bad?”
“No.”
That answer was easy.
Luca turned from the window.
“Sophie.”
She looked at him.
“Mia did nothing wrong.”
The certainty in his voice settled something inside me.
Not fear.
Something more dangerous.
Trust.
Sophie nodded.
Then she leaned against my shoulder.
A security officer entered.
“Second floor clear.”
Luca’s face hardened.
“House?”
“Still searching the basement and garage.”
“Check vehicles. Attic access. Mechanical rooms.”
“Yes, sir.”
He left.
Luca looked at Sophie.
“You’re sleeping in my room tonight.”
“Can Mia sleep there too?”
My heart stopped.
Luca looked at me.
I looked at the floor.
“That’s not necessary.”
Sophie frowned. “Why?”
“Because your father has security.”
“But the man was looking for Mia.”
“She can stay in the suite,” Luca said.
I looked up.
“Sir—”
“The sitting room has a sofa.”
“I can stay with Rosa.”
“No.”
The word came too fast.
He realized it.
So did I.
His tone changed.
“Until we know how someone got inside, I want the three people named in those files in one secured location.”
“Three?” Sophie asked.
“You, me, and Mia.”
That explanation was reasonable.
It should not have made my pulse race.
I stood slowly.
My leg burned.
Luca crossed the room.
Without asking, he offered his arm.
I stared at it.
He stared at me.
“Mia.”
“I can walk.”
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“Because walking and hurting yourself to prove you can walk are different things.”
Sophie smiled.
“Daddy sounds like Mia.”
Luca looked at her.
I almost laughed.
That was when Marco returned.
His face killed the moment.
“We found something.”
Luca’s posture changed instantly.
“What?”
“In the laundry room.”
My stomach dropped.
Marco looked at me.
“It’s for you.”
Luca said, “No.”
Marco frowned.
“No what?”
“She doesn’t go down there.”
“It’s evidence.”
“Bring it up.”
Marco hesitated.
Then nodded.
Five minutes later, he returned holding a clear plastic evidence sleeve.
Inside was a photograph.
Of me.
Taken earlier that evening.
I was standing outside Sophie’s room.
The photograph had been printed recently enough that the ink still shined beneath the plastic.
On the back:
YOU WERE WARNED.
I stared at it.
My hands became numb.
“When was this taken?” Luca asked.
“Timestamp says 7:18 p.m.”
“That’s impossible,” I whispered.
Everyone looked at me.
“I was upstairs at seven-eighteen.”
“Yes,” Marco said.
“That’s the point.”
I looked at him.
He continued.
“The angle is from inside the house.”
Luca went still.
“So somebody was already here before Vanessa was arrested.”
“Or a camera was.”
Marco showed another item.
A tiny wireless transmitter.
“We found this behind the molding outside Sophie’s room.”
Luca’s face darkened.
“How many?”
“So far, four.”
“Where?”
“Outside Sophie’s room. The upstairs hall. Your study. Staff kitchen.”
I swallowed.
“Laundry?”
“We’re still searching.”
The room felt dirty suddenly.
Every wall.
Every light fixture.
Every quiet corner where I had thought I was alone.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
Luca noticed.
“Enough for tonight,” he said.
Marco frowned. “We should question everyone.”
“In the morning.”
“The intruder may still—”
“Then increase the perimeter. Nobody sleeps alone.”
Marco looked toward Sophie.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
He left.
Luca took Sophie’s hand.
We moved to his suite.
I had cleaned that room many times.
It felt different entering as anything other than staff.
The bedroom was enormous but simple.
Dark wood.
White bedding.
Almost no decoration except a framed photograph on the dresser.
Sophie as a baby.
A woman holding her.
Beautiful.
Dark hair.
Warm smile.
Sophie’s mother.
Elena.
I had heard the name only twice.
She had died when Sophie was four.
Luca saw me looking.
“That was taken three months before she got sick.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded.
Sophie climbed onto the bed.
“Mommy hated that picture.”
Luca smiled faintly.
“She said her hair looked terrible.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I told her that.”
Sophie looked between us.
“Daddy always said Mommy was pretty when she was mad.”
Heat rose into my face for reasons I did not understand.
Luca looked at Sophie.
“You’re supposed to be trying to sleep.”
“I’m not tired.”
“You fell asleep during the movie.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“There wasn’t a bad man in the house.”
Luca’s expression softened.
He sat beside her.
“You’re safe.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m here.”
“And Mia?”
“She’s here.”
Sophie thought.
“And Marco?”
“Definitely here.”
“Rosa?”
“Here.”
“Okay.”
She pulled the blanket up.
Then pointed toward me.
“Mia needs pajamas.”
I looked down at my uniform.
“I’ll survive.”
“No. You can’t sleep in that.”
“She’s right,” Luca said.
I stared at him.
He raised both hands.
“I’m not getting involved.”
“You just did.”
He almost smiled.
Rosa brought me a pair of soft gray lounge pants and a shirt belonging to one of the housekeepers.
I changed in the bathroom.
When I came out, Sophie was asleep.
Luca stood near the fireplace.
Two glasses of water sat on the table.
No alcohol.
I appreciated that more than he knew.
“Sit,” he said quietly.
I sat on the sofa.
He took the chair across from me.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then he said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I knew what he meant.
“About Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
“You were engaged to her.”
“Not officially.”
“Everyone thought you were going to marry her.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I looked at my hands.
“She said you would believe her.”
“And you believed that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because people believe people like Vanessa.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means she knows how to belong in rooms like yours.”
His brow furrowed.
“And you don’t?”
I almost laughed.
“I clean rooms like yours.”
He stared at me.
“That’s not what I asked.”
“It’s my answer.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“It’s the answer you learned to give.”
I looked at him.
Too close.
Not physically.
Something worse.
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough.”
“You know I work for you.”
“I know you protected my daughter when it cost you.”
“That was my job.”
“No.”
He leaned forward.
“Your job was laundry, meals, rooms, errands. Nobody paid you to tell Sophie I still loved Friday nights after Vanessa spent months convincing her otherwise.”
I didn’t answer.
“Nobody paid you to bring her to my study when you knew Vanessa would punish you.”
“I didn’t know she would hurt me.”
“You suspected.”
I looked away.
He was right.
That made me angry.
“So what?”
“So stop making what you did smaller.”
My throat tightened.
“I’m not trying to be a hero.”
“Good. Heroes make terrible employees.”
I looked at him.
He smiled faintly.
I laughed before I could stop myself.
The sound felt strange in the room.
Then his eyes dropped to my mouth.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
He saw that I saw it.
The air changed.
I stood too quickly.
Pain stabbed my leg.
Luca was on his feet immediately.
His hand caught my waist.
My palm landed against his chest.
Everything stopped.
His body was warm beneath the thin black shirt.
His hand stayed at my waist.
Not tightening.
Not moving.
Giving me time to step away.
I should have.
I didn’t.
His voice was low.
“You okay?”
“No.”
The truth slipped out.
His eyes lifted to mine.
For one dangerous second, I forgot Vanessa.
Forgot Cross.
Forgot the cameras.
Then the phone beside the bed rang.
We jumped apart.
Luca answered.
“Moretti.”
Silence.
His expression changed.
“What?”
I watched him.
He looked at me.
Then at Sophie.
His face went white.
“Say that again.”
A pause.
Then Luca lowered the phone.
“What happened?” I whispered.
He did not answer at first.
Finally:
“They found Daniel Cross.”
My stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“In my garage.”
I stared.
Luca’s voice dropped.
“He’s dead.”
Before we left Sophie’s room, Luca opened the drawer beside his bed and removed a small silver key. He handed it to me.
“What is this?”
“Panic room key.”
I stared at him. “You have a panic room?”
“Sophie knows where it is. If the alarms sound again and I’m not here, you take her there.”
“Why me?”
His gaze held mine. “Because tonight you’re the person she listens to when she’s scared.”
The responsibility landed heavily. “That should be you.”
“I know.” His voice roughened. “I’m trying to earn that back.”
I curled my fingers around the key. “You don’t earn it in one night.”
May you like
“I know that too.”
For once, Luca Moretti had no answer designed to end the conversation. He simply stood there and accepted the truth. Somehow that made trusting him easier.
