Chapter 8 - THE MAN BESIDE THE CRIB
Victor called Rosa first.
Not Anthony.
“Where is Lily?”
“In the nursery.”
“Who is with you?”
“Anthony outside.”
Victor’s heartbeat changed.
“Take Lily.”
Rosa immediately understood.
“Where?”
“East safe room.”
“What happened?”
“Now.”
The call ended.
Victor called a second security team he trusted separately.
Then Anthony.
“Boss.”
“Where are you?”
“Nursery wing.”
“Stay there.”
A pause.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.”
Victor hated how normal he sounded.
By the time his plane landed in Chicago, Lily and Rosa were secure.
Anthony had been moved away under the pretext of handling a security review.
Victor entered his office.
Anthony stood waiting.
Forty-eight.
Broad.
Quiet.
Fifteen years of service.
He had protected Victor during shootings.
Driven him to Elena’s funeral site years after her death was confirmed, though Victor did not know then what she had hidden.
Victor looked at him.
“Marcus Bell.”
Anthony’s face did not move.
“Old attorney?”
Victor watched.
“You know him.”
“I know the name.”
“Adriana says you work for him.”
Anthony laughed once.
“Adriana also tried to kill your daughter.”
“Careful.”
Anthony’s smile disappeared.
Victor sat.
“Your phone.”
Anthony hesitated.
One second too long.
Then handed it over.
Victor gave it to an independent investigator.
“Unlock.”
Anthony did.
Messages appeared normal.
Too normal.
Victor asked:
“Second phone?”
Anthony looked at him.
“No.”
Victor waited.
Silence.
Then Rosa entered.
She held something in a clear bag.
A small prepaid phone.
“Found behind the hallway radiator.”
Anthony’s face changed.
Victor saw it.
Rosa placed the phone down.
“Camera showed him put it there yesterday.”
Anthony looked at her with betrayal.
Rosa looked back.
“I protect the baby.”
Victor picked up the device.
One contact.
M.
Messages.
Wedding proceeding?
Yes.
Lily secured?
Yes.
Victor felt cold.
Another:
Adriana unstable. Keep distance.
Then:
If marriage fails, move to Phase Two.
Victor looked at Anthony.
“What is Phase Two?”
Anthony said nothing.
Victor stood.
“Fifteen years.”
Anthony’s face tightened.
“I never agreed to hurt Lily.”
“That was not the question.”
“Marcus paid me for information.”
“How long?”
“Two years.”
Victor stared.
“Why?”
Anthony looked ashamed.
“My brother owed money.”
Victor almost laughed.
Always money.
Always fear.
Always someone finding the weakest door.
“What did you give him?”
“Schedules.”
“Mine?”
“Yes.”
“Adriana’s?”
“Yes.”
“Lily’s?”
Anthony looked down.
Victor stepped closer.
“Lily’s?”
“Yes.”
Victor’s hands tightened.
He did not strike him.
That mattered.
“What is Phase Two?”
Anthony whispered:
“Take Luca before paternity becomes public.”
Victor went still.
“Take him where?”
“Not kidnap.”
Anthony rushed.
“Move him.”
“To Marcus.”
“To a private property.”
“Why?”
“Marcus believes Luca has documents Elena hid.”
Victor thought of the sealed letter.
Maybe there were more.
“Did you tell Marcus Luca called me?”
“No.”
“Did Adriana?”
“I don’t know.”
Victor stared.
“What does Marcus want besides the trust?”
Anthony hesitated.
“Records.”
“What records?”
“Angelo’s Restoration Ledger.”
Victor frowned.
“Elena had it?”
“Marcus thinks so.”
Victor turned toward Rosa.
She looked confused.
Anthony continued.
“Angelo tracked every payment. Every family. Every settlement.”
Victor understood.
If the ledger existed, it proved the trust’s purpose.
It could defeat Marcus’s claim.
And potentially expose decades of Santoro wrongdoing.
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
Victor looked back.
“Phase Two?”
Anthony swallowed.
“Marcus sent men to St. Matthew yesterday.”
Victor’s blood went cold.
“When?”
“Before Luca called you.”
“Why didn’t they take him?”
“He left campus.”
Victor grabbed his phone.
Luca had not mentioned leaving.
Victor called.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Evelyn.
She answered on the first ring.
“Victor?”
“Where is Luca?”
Silence.
“I thought he was with you.”
Victor felt the room narrow.
“No.”
Evelyn’s voice changed.
“He left my office after you did.”
“When?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“Where was he going?”
“He said he wanted space.”
“Did he go back to school?”
“I assumed.”
Victor closed his eyes.
Anthony whispered:
“Marcus probably has him.”
Victor turned.
“You said the men failed.”
“They failed at school.”
Victor stared.
Anthony understood too late.
Marcus did not need to grab Luca publicly.
He only needed to make the boy leave on his own.
Then Victor’s phone buzzed.
A photograph.
Luca sitting inside a room.
Not tied.
Not visibly hurt.
But angry.
Behind him stood Marcus Bell.
White hair.
Seventy-eight.
Smiling.
The message beneath:
BRING ANGELO’S LEDGER.
Victor typed back:
I DON’T HAVE IT.
The reply came immediately.
THEN FIND THE WOMAN WHO DOES.
Victor stared.
What woman?
Another message.
A photograph.
Rosa.
Taken three days earlier.
Victor slowly turned toward Lily’s nanny.
Rosa looked at the screen.
Then closed her eyes.
Victor understood.
May you like
“You have the ledger.”
Rosa began to cry.
