Chapter 2 - The Billionaire Mafia Boss Discovered the Secret I Had Been Hiding for Eighteen Months

The first thing I noticed about Adrian Vale's residence was the security.

There were cameras covering every entrance, armed guards stationed near the gates, and a black iron fence that looked as though it could withstand a military attack.

The second thing I noticed was that the house was enormous.

It stood on a private property overlooking Lake Michigan, with towering windows, immaculate gardens, and a driveway long enough to accommodate a dozen luxury vehicles.

I had expected something extravagant.

I hadn't expected something that looked like a fortress disguised as a mansion.

When the car stopped, Adrian stepped out first.

A man in a dark suit approached him.

"Mr. Vale, the meeting has been moved to tomorrow morning."

"Cancel it."

"The men from New York are already—"

"Cancel it, Marcus."

The man immediately fell silent.

Adrian turned toward me.

"Come inside."

I followed him through the entrance, trying not to stare at the marble floors and enormous chandelier.

A woman in her sixties approached us.

"Mr. Vale."

"Mrs. Bennett, this is Clara. Prepare the guest suite."

The housekeeper smiled at me.

"Of course, sir."

I almost laughed at the coincidence of our surnames.

Adrian noticed.

"Something amusing?"

"Nothing."

He led me into a spacious office with dark wooden walls and shelves filled with books.

"Sit."

I remained standing.

He didn't insist.

Instead, he removed his coat and placed it over the back of a leather chair.

"Tell me about the ledger."

I stared at him.

"What makes you think I have a ledger?"

"Because you told three armed men that you had already sent the records."

"Perhaps I sent them to the police."

"Did you?"

I said nothing.

Adrian walked to his desk and opened a drawer.

He took out a photograph.

My heart stopped.

It showed Ethan standing beside his maintenance truck at the freight yard.

"When was this taken?"

"Yesterday."

I snatched the photograph from his hand.

"Why do you have this?"

"Because someone has been watching him."

My fingers tightened around the photograph.

"Who?"

"Vanessa's people."

I struggled to breathe.

Adrian watched me carefully.

"Now do you understand why I brought you here?"

I wanted to accuse him of manipulating me.

But I couldn't ignore the photograph.

"Is my brother safe?"

"For tonight, yes."

"And tomorrow?"

"That depends on you."

I stared at him.

"You're threatening me?"

"No. I'm explaining the situation."

He leaned forward.

"Vanessa has spent years building her organization. You have spent eighteen months documenting it. If she believes you possess evidence that could put her in prison, she'll do whatever she thinks necessary to recover it."

I lowered my eyes.

The ledger was stored on an encrypted drive hidden inside an old calculator at my apartment.

There were also encrypted copies in two other locations.

Only I knew the passwords.

At least, I thought I was the only one.

"Why do you want the records?" I asked.

"Because Vanessa stole millions from my shipping companies. She used my legitimate operations to conceal illegal cargo, falsified invoices, and payments to officials."

"Then why haven't you reported her?"

His expression hardened.

"Because she has spent years buying protection."

"That's not an answer."

"No," he agreed. "It isn't."

He opened another drawer and removed a thick folder.

Inside were photographs of shipping containers, invoices, and several names I recognized from my ledger.

I stared at the documents.

"Where did you get these?"

"My investigators."

I flipped through them.

Some were familiar.

Others weren't.

Then I found a photograph of a container I had been tracking for months.

Its identification number was written beneath the image.

My hands began to shake.

"This shipment was supposed to be destroyed."

"According to Vanessa's records, yes."

"But it wasn't."

"No."

I looked up.

"What was inside?"

Adrian's expression changed.

"That's what we're trying to find out."

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he asked the question I had been avoiding.

"How much evidence do you have?"

"Enough."

"That isn't an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting."

He studied me.

Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.

It wasn't a warm smile.

It was the expression of a man who had just discovered that someone had more courage than he expected.

"You're not as timid as you look."

"And you're not as intimidating as people say."

His smile disappeared.

I immediately regretted saying that.

But instead of getting angry, Adrian laughed softly.

It was the first time I had heard him laugh.

And it made him seem more dangerous somehow.

"Mrs. Bennett will show you to your room," he said. "Tomorrow, we'll discuss your evidence."

"I haven't agreed to work with you."

"You don't have to."

He stood.

"But until Vanessa is dealt with, you're staying here."

I folded my arms.

"You can't keep me prisoner."

"No."

He opened the office door.

"But I can make sure you have somewhere safe to sleep."

I followed Mrs. Bennett upstairs.

My guest suite was larger than my entire apartment.

There was a king-sized bed, a private bathroom, a sitting area, and a balcony overlooking the frozen lake.

I should have felt relieved.

Instead, I felt trapped.

I called Ethan immediately.

He answered on the third ring.

"Clara? Where are you? I've been calling you all night."

"I'm fine."

"You're not answering my question."

I closed the bedroom door.

"Ethan, listen carefully. Don't go to work tomorrow."

"What? Why?"

"Just promise me."

"Clara, you're scaring me."

I pressed my fingers against my forehead.

"I'll explain everything soon. But for now, stay with Aunt Margaret."

He was silent.

Then he asked, "Is this about Vanessa?"

My stomach dropped.

"What do you know about her?"

"Nothing. I just heard the guys at the yard talking."

"What did they say?"

"That someone had been stealing company records."

I closed my eyes.

"Ethan, don't talk to anyone about this. Not your coworkers, not your supervisor, nobody."

"Okay."

"And if anyone asks where I am, you haven't seen me."

"Clara—"

"I love you."

There was a pause.

Then he said it back.

After ending the call, I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the dark window.

Somewhere downstairs, a door closed.

Footsteps crossed the hallway.

I realized I had no idea how many people lived in Adrian's house or how many of them were armed.

And I had no idea whether the man who had rescued me intended to protect me or use me.

At midnight, there was a knock on my door.

I froze.

"Miss Bennett?"

It was Mrs. Bennett.

"Mr. Vale asked me to bring you something."

I opened the door.

She held out a small velvet box.

Inside was a brand-new phone.

"He says your old one may have been compromised."

I stared at the device.

"Did he tell you anything else?"

Mrs. Bennett hesitated.

"Only that you should call him if you need anything."

I thanked her and closed the door.

Then I noticed something strange.

The phone had already been activated.

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There was only one contact saved.

Adrian Vale.