Chapter 1
Dominic did not move.
The memory card rested in his palm.
Tiny.
Black.
Damaged at one corner.
Victor stood six feet away.
Red tie.
Black suit.
The same man who had guarded Dominic for eleven years.
The same man Sophie had just pointed at.
The same man Lucy remembered from the parking lot where their mother died.
Dominic looked at him.
“Sit.”
Victor laughed once.
“Boss.”
“Sit.”
The room changed.
Victor sat.
Not because the chair mattered.
Because Dominic’s voice did.
I kept both injured hands in my lap.
Blood had dried along the edges of the gauze.
Sophie pressed against my shoulder.
Lucy leaned into my side.
Neither girl looked at Victor.
Dominic noticed.
His face hardened.
“Marco.”
A security officer appeared at the hall.
“Yes, sir?”
“Lock the west doors.”
Victor looked up.
“Dominic.”
“Collect every phone.”
“Boss, this is ridiculous.”
Dominic held up one finger.
Victor stopped.
“Every phone,” Dominic repeated.
Marco nodded.
“Done.”
Dominic turned toward me.
“Emily.”
I swallowed.
“Yes?”
“Where did you find the dash camera?”
“In Mrs. Romano’s old car.”
“Isabelle’s car has been in storage.”
“Yes.”
“For fourteen months.”
“Yes.”
“Why were you in it?”
I looked toward Sophie.
She stared at the floor.
“I was looking for her music book.”
Dominic frowned.
“What music book?”
Sophie whispered:
“Mommy’s blue one.”
He looked at her.
“She asked you?”
I nodded.
“Sophie remembered the song today.”
The first song.
The one they had sung.
Dominic’s expression softened for half a second.
Then his eyes returned to the card.
“What happened after you found it?”
I took a breath.
“The dash camera was still mounted.”
“Powered?”
“No.”
“I removed the card.”
Victor shifted.
Dominic saw.
“Stay still.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
I continued.
“I brought it to the garage office.”
“Why?”
“There is an old card reader there.”
“Who was in the garage?”
“No one at first.”
“At first.”
I looked at Victor.
He smiled.
Not friendly.
My throat tightened.
“Victor came in.”
Dominic’s eyes stayed on me.
“What did he say?”
“He asked what I was doing.”
“And?”
“I said I found an old card.”
“Then?”
“He told me to give it to him.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
Victor laughed.
“She ran.”
I looked at him.
Dominic turned slowly.
“So you were there.”
Victor froze.
One sentence.
One mistake.
He recovered.
“I went after her because she took security evidence.”
Dominic’s face became completely still.
“You said she cut herself in the garage.”
Victor said nothing.
I could hear Sophie breathing too fast.
I put one hand over hers.
It hurt.
I did it anyway.
Dominic looked at Victor.
“How did Emily get those cuts?”
Victor looked toward me.
“She tripped.”
“Again?”
“She ran through the shelving aisle.”
I spoke.
“He grabbed my apron.”
Silence.
Victor snapped:
“You were taking evidence.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Do not justify touching her.”
Victor’s face changed.
I continued.
“I pulled away.”
“And?”
“The storage rack tipped.”
“There was broken glass.”
“From?”
“An old framed photograph.”
My cheek throbbed as I remembered.
Glass.
Metal.
Concrete.
Victor stepping over me.
Reaching for the card.
I had shoved it into my sleeve.
He searched the floor.
Did not find it.
Then told me if I spoke, I would be fired.
Dominic’s voice was quiet.
“Did he threaten you?”
I nodded.
Victor stood.
“That is enough.”
Marco moved immediately.
“Sit down.”
Victor stared at him.
“You work for me.”
Marco shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at Dominic.
“I work for him.”
Victor’s mouth tightened.
Dominic turned toward the piano.
There was a laptop on the side table.
He handed the card to Marco.
“Clone it.”
Victor stepped forward.
“Do not.”
The room froze.
Dominic stared.
“You really do not want me to watch it.”
Victor realized how much he had just admitted.
His face lost color.
Marco took the card.
The girls moved closer to me.
I looked at Sophie.
“You don’t have to stay.”
She shook her head.
“Yes.”
Dominic crouched.
“Sophie.”
She looked at him.
“You do not have to prove anything.”
“I want Mommy.”
His face broke.
Just briefly.
“I know.”
Lucy whispered:
“I want to see.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
No parent should have to decide whether four-year-old memory belonged in a murder investigation.
He opened them.
“No.”
Lucy frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I am your dad.”
“That’s not a reason.”
Sophie almost smiled.
So did I.
Dominic sighed.
“Because if the video is scary, I do not want it inside your head.”
Lucy considered.
“It’s already inside.”
The room went silent.
Dominic stared at his youngest daughter.
Then he looked at me.
I could see the question.
What do I do?
I was not their mother.
Not family.
Just the woman who had sat beside them every evening for five months until they started touching the piano again.
I said quietly:
“Let them decide if they want to leave after the first seconds.”
Dominic nodded.
Choice.
Good.
Marco returned.
“Card readable.”
Victor closed his eyes.
There.
Dominic saw.
“Play.”
The footage appeared.
Parking garage.
Timestamp.
Fourteen months earlier.
Isabelle Romano driving.
Sophie and Lucy visible in rear camera mirror.
Alive.
Talking.
Laughing.
My chest tightened.
Dominic’s face changed completely.
His wife.
His daughters before silence.
Victor stood near a concrete pillar.
Red tie.
Sophie whispered:
“That’s him.”
Dominic did not move.
Video Isabelle stopped the car.
Victor approached.
Opened her driver’s door.
She looked surprised.
Audio crackled.
“Victor?”
He leaned down.
“Mr. Romano asked me to bring you upstairs.”
Dominic’s head snapped toward him.
“No.”
Victor stared at screen.
Video Isabelle:
“Dominic is at the airport.”
Victor:
“Change of plan.”
Then another man entered frame.
Tall.
Gray coat.
Face partly hidden.
Isabelle stiffened.
“No.”
Sophie began trembling.
I held her tighter.
Dominic’s voice was barely audible.
“Who is he?”
Victor said nothing.
Video continued.
Gray-coat man grabbed Isabelle’s arm.
She fought.
Victor looked toward the back seat.
Toward the girls.
Then deliberately moved in front of the camera.
Blocking.
But not all.
A reflection in the windshield caught the gray man’s face.
One second.
Enough.
Dominic stood.
“No.”
He knew him.
Everyone looked at him.
“Who?”
I asked.
His face went white.
“My brother.”
Silence.
Dominic Romano had a brother.
I had never heard the name.
Neither had the girls.
Victor closed his eyes.
Dominic turned.
“Matteo.”
Victor said nothing.
Dominic’s voice hardened.
“My brother died nine years ago.”
Victor whispered:
“So did Isabelle.”
Silence.
That sentence changed everything.
Dominic stepped toward him.
Marco moved slightly.
Not to stop Dominic.
To be ready.
Dominic stopped himself.
Good.
“Explain.”
Victor looked at the girls.
Dominic said:
“Not one lie.”
Victor exhaled.
“Matteo never died.”
Sophie started crying.
Lucy stared.
Dominic looked toward them.
Then at me.
I stood slowly despite my knees shaking.
“Come with me.”
Sophie resisted.
“I want Daddy.”
Dominic crouched.
“I’m here.”
“Then don’t send me.”
He looked broken.
“Okay.”
He looked at Victor.
“Continue.”
Victor swallowed.
“Matteo disappeared.”
“Why?”
“Your father.”
“Antonio?”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
“Matteo found financial records.”
“Of what?”
“Romano Security contracts.”
Dominic stared.
“Our private security company.”
“Yes.”
“Illegal?”
Victor hesitated.
“Some.”
“Which?”
“Surveillance.”
“Bribes.”
“Off-book escorts.”
My stomach tightened.
“For who?”
Victor looked at him.
“Politicians.”
“Business partners.”
“Witnesses.”
“Criminals.”
Silence.
Dominic’s face became cold.
“My father used family security as a private intelligence network.”
“Yes.”
“And Matteo found it.”
“Yes.”
“So Dad erased him.”
“Helped him disappear.”
“Why would Matteo agree?”
“He didn’t.”
Victor looked down.
“At first.”
“What happened later?”
“He used the network himself.”
That landed harder.
“So Matteo became part of it.”
“Yes.”
“And Isabelle?”
Victor stared at the paused image of her.
“She found him.”
“How?”
“She was looking into missing charity funds.”
“What charity?”
“Romano Children’s Foundation.”
Dominic went pale.
His wife ran that foundation.
“Yes.”
“Matteo had been moving money through it.”
“For what?”
Victor swallowed.
“To pay informants.”
“Why?”
“To build a case against Antonio’s old network.”
Silence.
Good purpose.
Criminal methods.
Again.
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“Everyone is saving someone with stolen money.”
Victor looked ashamed.
“Isabelle confronted him.”
“In the garage.”
“Yes.”
“Did he kill her?”
Victor said nothing.
Dominic’s face hardened.
“Did he kill my wife?”
“No.”
Silence.
Sophie looked up.
“What?”
Victor turned toward her.
Dominic snapped:
“Look at me.”
Victor obeyed.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Victor looked at the screen.
“Isabelle left the garage alive.”
Dominic’s breath stopped.
“That is impossible.”
“No.”
“She was found three blocks away.”
“Yes.”
“Shot.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“Matteo did not shoot her.”
“Who did?”
Victor’s face changed.
“I don’t know.”
Luca? No. Dominic.
Dominic stepped closer.
“You were there.”
“In the garage.”
“You followed.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Matteo ordered me back inside.”
“And you obeyed.”
“Yes.”
“Then you covered it.”
Victor closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Sophie whispered:
“You lied.”
Victor looked like the words hurt more than Dominic’s anger.
“Yes.”
“You told Daddy you found Mommy.”
“Yes.”
“You said you weren’t there.”
“Yes.”
Lucy started crying quietly.
I pulled both girls closer.
Dominic looked at Victor.
“Why cover Matteo?”
“Because he said if police found him, the network would destroy the girls.”
Silence.
“There it is.”
Dominic laughed once.
“Protection.”
Victor said nothing.
Dominic continued:
“You decided for me.”
“Yes.”
“You decided for my daughters.”
“Yes.”
“You decided for Isabelle.”
“Yes.”
His face broke.
“I’m sorry.”
Dominic looked away.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
Marco paused the video at the reflected face.
Matteo.
Older.
Scar over eyebrow.
Alive.
Then another frame appeared as Isabelle’s car pulled away.
A second vehicle.
Black sedan.
License plate partly visible.
Marco zoomed.
“Can trace.”
Dominic nodded.
“Do it.”
Then I noticed something.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked.
On the far right of the frame—
a woman stood beside the elevator.
Watching.
Blond hair.
Long gray coat.
Face clear.
Dominic went completely still.
“No.”
“Who is she?”
I asked.
His voice cracked.
“My mother.”
Silence.
Sophie looked at him.
“Grandma?”
Dominic stared at the screen.
“Grandma died twelve years ago.”
Victor closed his eyes.
Again.
Another dead person.
Another lie.
May you like
And suddenly Isabelle’s murder involved not only Dominic’s supposedly dead brother—
but his supposedly dead mother too.
