Chapter 8 - The Last Betrayal
Their wedding was planned for autumn.
Small.
Private.
Family only.
But three days before the ceremony, Roman disappeared.
Dominic knew immediately.
Naomi found him pacing the office.
“What happened?”
“Roman is gone.”
“Maybe he ran an errand.”
“He wouldn't.”
Twenty minutes later, they received a photograph.
Roman tied to a chair.
A message beneath it.
One final debt.
Dominic's old enemy, Marco Bellini, had survived overseas.
He wanted revenge.
And he knew where to strike.
Naomi.
Dominic prepared to go alone.
She stopped him.
“You're not going without me.”
“No.”
“I’m part of this.”
“No.”
She grabbed his jacket.
“You promised never to shut me out again.”
He stared at her.
Then sighed.
“You make everything impossible.”
“You've said that before.”
They followed the trail to an abandoned factory.
Inside, they found Roman.
But Bellini was waiting.
“Dominic.”
He smiled.
“Still pretending you're respectable?”
Dominic raised his weapon.
Bellini laughed.
“Go ahead.”
He gestured toward Roman.
“He betrayed you.”
Roman shook his head.
“He’s lying.”
Bellini tossed photographs onto the floor.
Transactions.
Messages.
Meetings.
Everything pointed to Roman.
Dominic looked at his oldest friend.
“Is it true?”
Roman's eyes filled with pain.
“I had no choice.”
Silence.
“I made one deal,” Roman whispered. “Years ago. Before Naomi. Bellini had my sister.”
Dominic lowered his gun.
“Where is she?”
“Dead.”
Dominic looked down.
Roman’s voice cracked.
“I thought if I gave Bellini information, he would let her live. He killed her anyway.”
Naomi stepped forward.
“Did you ever betray Dominic after that?”
“No.”
Bellini smiled.
“But he did.”
Dominic's eyes sharpened.
Bellini pressed a button.
A recording played.
Dominic speaking with Vincent.
From years earlier.
Naomi's face fell.
“Dominic?”
He looked at her.
“I never wanted you to hear that.”
The recording made it sound like Dominic had agreed to sacrifice Naomi's father to protect his own rise.
Dominic closed his eyes.
“It's edited.”
Bellini laughed.
“Prove it.”
Naomi walked toward the speaker.
She listened.
Again.
Then again.
She smiled.
“It is edited.”
Everyone turned.
“What?”
“The background noise.”
She looked at Dominic.
“Your father's office had a grandfather clock.”
“Yes.”
“In the recording, the clock strikes eleven.”
Dominic looked confused.
“So?”
“It only struck eleven if the pendulum was moving.”
Bellini's smile disappeared.
“That recording was fabricated from two separate conversations.”
Naomi pulled out her phone.
“And I have the original.”
She pressed play.
The real recording revealed everything.
Dominic had threatened Vincent.
He had tried to protect Naomi's father.
He had failed.
But he had never betrayed him.
Federal agents stormed the factory.
Bellini was arrested.
Roman was freed.
The danger was finally over.
Outside, Roman apologized.
Dominic embraced him.
“No more secrets.”
Roman nodded.
“No more.”
Naomi looked at Dominic.
“So.”
“So?”
“Wedding.”
May you like
He smiled.
“Wedding.”
