Chapter 2 - The Little Girl Who Walked Into A War
Luca never raised his voice at Mia.
Not once.
He carried her away from the hallway and set her down on the green chair beside his office desk.
She sat there clutching Teddy.
I stood across from him, wrists bruised, hair falling loose, trying to breathe.
Julian arrived three minutes later.
He entered with two armed men.
His face showed no emotion.
That frightened me more than anger would have.
Luca turned.
“Close the door.”
Julian obeyed.
Luca looked at him.
“Two men entered my house.”
“Yes.”
“They were looking for her.”
Julian glanced at me.
Then at Mia.
Then at Teddy.
“I didn't know.”
Luca's voice became colder.
“You know everything.”
“I know most things.”
“Not tonight.”
Julian said nothing.
Luca turned toward me.
“Tell me what happened.”
I did.
Every detail.
The footsteps.
The darkness.
The words.
The hiding place.
Julian listened without interruption.
When I finished, Luca asked,
“What did they say?”
I repeated the sentence.
Find the kid after we finish with her.
Julian's eyes changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
Luca did too.
“Why would they want her?”
Julian answered immediately.
“They don't.”
Luca looked at him.
“What?”
“They wanted the bear.”
My stomach dropped.
Luca turned toward Mia.
She was humming softly.
“Why?”
Julian didn't answer.
Luca stepped toward him.
“Why?”
Julian finally spoke.
“Because the thing they're looking for is inside it.”
The room went silent.
I felt my pulse in my throat.
Luca turned to me.
“Open it.”
Mia immediately stood.
“No.”
Everyone froze.
She hugged Teddy tighter.
Luca crouched.
“Why not?”
“Mommy fixed it.”
Luca looked at me.
I swallowed.
“Mia.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Luca looked at her Teddy.
Then at me.
“Did you put something inside?”
I could have lied.
I wanted to.
But there were too many people in the room.
Too many guns.
Too many secrets.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Luca's face hardened.
“What?”
“A paper.”
“What paper?”
“The one I found this morning.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Julian's?”
I nodded.
Julian went pale.
Luca turned toward him.
“Search him.”
Two guards moved immediately.
Julian did not resist.
They found nothing.
Luca looked at me.
“What did the paper contain?”
“Names.”
His expression tightened.
“Whose names?”
“I don't know all of them.”
“You recognized some.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because they are people you do business with.”
Luca stared.
“What else?”
“Addresses.”
“Shipment schedules.”
“Codes.”
“And his symbol.”
I pointed at Julian.
“The hawk.”
Julian's jaw tightened.
Luca's eyes dropped to his ring.
The black onyx hawk stared back.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then Luca looked at Julian.
“Take off the ring.”
Julian did.
Luca held it.
Turned it.
Examined the tiny hawk.
Then looked back at the paper.
His face became unreadable.
“Where did you get this?”
“I told you.”
“From Julian?”
“Mia found it.”
He looked at my daughter.
“Mia.”
She stood quietly.
“Uncle Julian dropped it.”
Julian's face changed.
Luca saw it.
“So you were near the east hallway.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
Mia thought.
“Before dinner.”
“With whom?”
She frowned.
“I don't know.”
“Was anybody there?”
She lifted Teddy.
“People were talking.”
“What people?”
She looked at me.
I crouched.
“Sweetheart, do you remember?”
Mia nodded.
“Mr. Julian was talking to another man.”
“What man?”
She shook her head.
“He had a scar.”
Luca and Julian exchanged a look.
I knew that look.
Someone dangerous.
Someone known.
“Where was he?”
Mia pointed.
“The room with the big painting.”
Luca turned.
“The blue room.”
Julian nodded.
“That's where the north route maps are kept.”
Luca slowly stood.
“Who had access?”
Julian answered.
“Four people.”
“Name them.”
“Me.”
“Alejandro.”
“Marcus.”
“And Victor.”
Luca stared.
“Victor died last year.”
Julian nodded.
“Then the list is wrong.”
“No.”
Luca's expression changed.
“Maybe he didn't die.”
I felt a chill.
“Luca.”
He turned toward me.
“What?”
“The paper.”
I pointed at it.
“There is a date.”
He unfolded it.
At the bottom was a shipment time.
Tomorrow night.
12:30 a.m.
Location:
North Dock 17.
Destination:
Crown Heights.
Code:
H-17.
Luca went still.
“That shipment doesn't exist.”
“What?”
He looked at Julian.
“It isn't supposed to.”
Julian's face lost color.
“Who created this?”
Luca's voice was deadly.
“That's what I'm going to find out.”
He turned to his guards.
“Seal the estate.”
Everyone moved.
Doors locked.
Phones collected.
Security doubled.
Mia looked frightened.
I went to her.
“Come here.”
She climbed into my arms.
Luca watched.
For a moment, his expression softened.
Then someone knocked.
Alejandro entered.
His clothes were disheveled.
He looked surprised to see so many people awake.
“What happened?”
Luca stared at him.
“Where were you?”
“At the west garage.”
“With whom?”
Alejandro hesitated.
“Nobody.”
Luca walked closer.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
“Three men saw you enter the east hallway tonight.”
Alejandro's expression changed.
“That wasn't me.”
Luca pulled out his phone.
A security photo appeared.
Alejandro.
Walking through the east hall.
At 1:12 a.m.
Thirty-five minutes before the attack.
My stomach dropped.
Alejandro looked at Julian.
Then at Luca.
Then at me.
“I can explain.”
Luca's voice was quiet.
“Start.”
Alejandro took a breath.
“I received a message.”
“From whom?”
“I don't know.”
“What did it say?”
“That someone inside the house had stolen something.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
Julian spoke.
“That's impossible.”
Alejandro looked at him.
“Is it?”
The room went silent.
Mia buried her face against my shoulder.
I held her tighter.
Luca's eyes moved between the men.
For ten years, he had trusted Julian.
Tonight, that trust had cracked.
And somewhere in this house was someone who wanted the Valente family destroyed from the inside.
May you like
The question was no longer whether there was a traitor.
It was how close that traitor already was.
