Chapter 6 - The Secret Buried Twelve Years Ago
Damian spent the night going through his father's old records.
Lena brought coffee.
He barely touched it.
“You need sleep.”
“No.”
“You’ve been awake for twenty hours.”
“I can sleep when this is over.”
Lena sat beside him.
“Then what happens after?”
He looked at her.
“I don't know.”
“Maybe you should.”
He smiled.
“You always ask difficult questions.”
“Someone should.”
By dawn, he found something.
A hidden account.
Opened twelve years earlier.
Monthly payments.
One recipient.
Vincent Russo.
Damian stared at the screen.
His uncle.
The man who had attended his father's funeral.
The man who had hugged Damian afterward.
The man who told him he would always protect the family.
Damian called Vincent.
“Come to the estate.”
Vincent arrived within an hour.
He looked frightened.
Damian rolled into the study.
“You killed my father.”
Vincent stopped.
“What?”
“You paid someone to kill him.”
“That’s insane.”
Damian threw the documents onto the desk.
Vincent stared at them.
Then he closed his eyes.
“You don't understand.”
“Explain.”
“Your father was going to leave.”
“Leave what?”
“The organization.”
Damian went still.
Vincent continued.
“Anthony wanted to dismantle the criminal side of the business.”
“He never told me.”
“He was going to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted you out.”
Damian looked stunned.
Vincent whispered, “He believed you were too good to become him.”
“That doesn't explain murder.”
“No.”
Vincent looked broken.
“I didn't order it.”
“Who did?”
Vivian's father.
Charles Mercer.
Damian stared at him.
Vivian's father.
The real architect.
Vincent explained everything.
Charles had wanted control of the Russo empire.
He had used Vivian to get close to Damian.
Their relationship had been planned years before Vivian met him.
Damian's stomach turned.
His engagement had never been an accident.
It had been an operation.
Lena reached for his shoulder.
“Damian.”
He stood suddenly.
The room went silent.
Vincent stared at his legs.
“You can walk?”
Damian looked at him.
“Yes.”
Vincent whispered, “God help us.”
But Damian wasn't looking at Vincent.
He was looking at Lena.
She had known.
And she had never told anyone.
He realized then that the woman everyone called a maid had protected the most dangerous secret in America.
And she had done it without asking for money.
Without asking for power.
Without asking for anything.
Damian walked toward her.
“Why?”
Lena looked confused.
“Why what?”
“Why stay?”
She looked at him.
“Because someone should.”
He stood there.
Then he gently touched her face.
She froze.
So did he.
Neither kissed.
Not yet.
Because suddenly there was another problem.
A knock came at the door.
One of Damian's security officers entered.
“Mr. Russo.”
“What?”
“Vivian has taken control of Russo Freight.”
Damian's expression hardened.
“She has six hours before the board meeting.”
Lena whispered, “What are you going to do?”
May you like
Damian smiled.
“Take everything back.”
