Chapter 3 - The Woman Jason Thought He Had Destroyed
Catherine's first reaction was disbelief.
“My mother died when I was six.”
“I know.”
“I couldn't have been there.”
“You were.”
“How?”
Luca took her to a private room.
There, he opened a locked case.
Inside were photographs, incident reports, and old medical documents.
Catherine recognized the hospital.
She recognized the date.
She recognized the bracelet around the wrist of the little girl in the final photograph.
Her own.
“I don't remember.”
“You were injured.”
“How?”
“Your mother was protecting my father during a security breach. The attack happened outside the hotel. You were caught in it.”
Catherine stared at the photograph.
“My mother brought me?”
“She was trying to evacuate you.”
“And you?”
“I was sixteen.”
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
Catherine looked at him.
The terrifying mafia boss sitting across from her had once been a frightened teenager covered in blood.
And her mother had saved him.
Suddenly the pieces shifted.
“That's why you recognized the scar.”
Luca nodded.
“You had a cut on your hand. You refused to cry.”
Catherine almost laughed.
“I was six.”
“You looked at me and said something.”
“What?”
“You told me, ‘Stop being scared. My mom says fear makes you slow.’”
Tears filled her eyes.
She remembered something.
A dark hallway.
Her mother’s hand.
Sirens.
A boy kneeling on the floor.
And a little silver bird pendant around his neck.
“You.”
Luca's eyes softened.
“You remember.”
Catherine whispered:
“You had a silver bird.”
“I still do.”
He pulled the chain from beneath his shirt.
A small silver bird rested against his chest.
Catherine touched it.
Her fingers trembled.
“My mother gave you that.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She said it would remind me there were still people worth protecting.”
Catherine looked away.
The coincidence felt too large to be coincidence.
Then her phone rang.
Jason.
She stared at the screen.
Luca watched her.
“You don't have to answer.”
She pressed accept.
“Where are you?” Jason demanded.
“Why?”
“You disappeared.”
“I left.”
“You can't just walk out.”
“I already did.”
His voice changed.
“You're with him.”
Catherine stayed silent.
“I know you're with DeLuca.”
“What does that matter?”
“It matters because you don't understand what you've gotten yourself into.”
Catherine laughed bitterly.
“I understand perfectly.”
“No, Catherine. He will destroy you.”
A cold calm settled over her.
“He tried to help me.”
Jason cursed.
“Stay away from him.”
“Why?”
“You don't know what he's capable of.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
“Then perhaps you should have thought of that before handing your wife divorce papers beside your mistress.”
Silence.
Then Jason whispered:
“You're making a mistake.”
Catherine ended the call.
Luca watched her.
“He's afraid.”
“So are you.”
“Yes.”
She looked at him.
“Of what?”
“Of what happens if you discover how deep this goes.”
That evening, Catherine returned to her company.
The employees stared.
Some hugged her.
Others whispered.
Jason had already told people that she was unstable.
Allison had posted a photograph of herself crying in a hospital waiting room with the caption:
Sometimes you have to let people go for their own good.
Catherine saw it.
She almost threw her phone.
Instead, she took a screenshot.
Daniel called.
“Don't respond.”
“I wasn't planning to.”
“Good.”
“You found more?”
“Yes.”
“There are transfers.”
“From Jason?”
“From Jason to a company called Northstar Advisory.”
“Never heard of it.”
“You wouldn't.”
“Who owns it?”
Daniel hesitated.
“An entity in Delaware.”
“Which means?”
“Someone doesn't want you to know.”
Catherine looked toward Luca.
He was standing across the room.
He had heard enough to understand.
“I can trace it,” he said.
Catherine covered the phone.
“Can you?”
“Yes.”
Daniel heard him.
There was a pause.
“Catherine?”
“I'm here.”
“Who is that?”
“Someone helping me.”
Daniel sighed.
“As long as he helps.”
Luca later explained that Northstar was connected to a network of investment companies that laundered money through construction contracts.
At the center was Jason’s father.
Charles Bennett.
Catherine felt sick.
“Jason’s father died eight years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Then how is money still moving?”
“He left instructions.”
“What kind?”
“Enough to ruin you.”
The following day, Catherine met Allison.
She had expected anger.
Instead, Allison looked exhausted.
They met in a quiet café.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Allison looked down.
“Because Jason lied to me too.”
Catherine almost laughed.
“I'm not in the mood.”
“He told me you were leaving him.”
“He handed me divorce papers.”
“I know.”
“He said he loved me.”
Catherine stared.
Allison’s eyes filled with tears.
“When did you start?”
Catherine's face went cold.
“Eight months ago.”
“Did he promise to marry you?”
“Yes.”
“Did he tell you about the money?”
“What money?”
There it was.
Allison knew nothing.
Catherine explained the transfers.
Allison’s face changed.
“He told me he was helping my brother.”
“What happened to your brother?”
“He never existed.”
Catherine blinked.
“What?”
“Jason told me my brother had medical debt. I gave him money.”
“How much?”
“Forty thousand.”
Catherine closed her eyes.
Allison had been conned too.
She hated that she felt sorry for her.
Then Allison whispered:
“I also saw something.”
“What?”
“Jason has another woman.”
Catherine looked up.
Allison handed her a photo.
The woman was older.
Elegant.
Dark-haired.
She was entering a private club with Jason.
Catherine recognized the building.
It belonged to Northstar.
Luca looked at the photograph later.
His face changed.
“That's Helena Russo.”
“Who is she?”
“Someone you don't want involved.”
“Why?”
“She controls the financial side of one of my rivals.”
Catherine stared.
“So Jason is working with your enemies.”
“Apparently.”
“Why?”
“To destroy me.”
She frowned.
“Why would my husband want to destroy you?”
Luca went silent.
Then he showed her the final page of her mother’s old security file.
There was one sentence underlined.
CLAIRE BENNETT DISCOVERED AN INTERNAL BETRAYAL INVOLVING TWO FAMILY NETWORKS.
Catherine's breath stopped.
“My mother was investigating them.”
“Yes.”
“And now Jason is connected to them.”
“Yes.”
Luca looked at her.
“Which means your divorce isn't the beginning.”
Catherine's expression hardened.
“It’s the end of something that started before I was old enough to understand it.”
That night, Jason made his next move.
A police officer arrived at Catherine’s apartment.
She was being investigated for financial fraud.
Someone had submitted forged financial documents in her name.
Her accounts were frozen.
Her business license was suspended pending review.
The media were waiting outside.
Jason called again.
“You should have signed.”
Catherine looked through the window at reporters gathering below.
Then she answered.
“You made one mistake.”
“What?”
“You thought I was still the woman you married.”
She ended the call.
Luca stood beside her.
“You're ready?”
Catherine turned.
“No.”
May you like
She took a breath.
“But I'm done being afraid.”
