Chapter 4 - The Secret My Mother Took to Her Grave
Arthur Kane had been dead for six years.
At least, that was what Dominic believed.
My mother had worked for him as a personal assistant for almost ten years.
I remembered the mansion.
The expensive cars.
The black ring.
The way my mother used to come home terrified after late meetings.
She had always said Arthur was a businessman.
She had never said mafia.
I sat in Dominic's study while he read through an old file.
“You never told me your mother worked for him.”
“I didn't know who he really was.”
“Did she ever mention Elena?”
“No.”
“Think.”
I tried.
Then I remembered something.
“A storage box.”
Dominic looked up.
“What?”
“My mother had a box she told me never to open.”
“Where?”
“In my old apartment.”
We left immediately.
The apartment was small and old.
My mother had died there.
Her belongings had been boxed and stacked in a closet.
I found the box beneath winter blankets.
Inside were letters.
Photographs.
Bank records.
And one cassette tape.
Dominic stared at it.
“This is old.”
“My mother didn't trust technology.”
He almost smiled.
We found a player at the back of the closet.
I pressed play.
My mother's voice filled the room.
If you're hearing this, something has happened to me.
I covered my mouth.
Dominic moved closer.
My mother continued.
Arthur Kane is not who everyone thinks he is.
He works with people who control half of the county.
And Dominic Vale's father was one of them.
Dominic went rigid.
The recording continued.
There was a girl named Elena.
She found out about the money.
She tried to expose them.
They killed her.
I gasped.
But there was more.
I saw who ordered it.
I saw the man who gave the order.
Arthur didn't.
My mother's voice shook.
It was someone inside the Vale family.
The tape ended.
Dominic didn't move.
“Who?”
I looked at him.
“My mother didn't say.”
He stared at the machine.
Then he looked at me.
“Your mother knew.”
“Yes.”
“She knew who killed my sister.”
“Yes.”
“Why did she never tell me?”
I whispered, “Maybe she was trying to keep me alive.”
Silence filled the room.
Then Marcus entered.
“We have a problem.”
Dominic stood.
“What?”
“The security feed from the mansion was accessed remotely.”
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
“By whom?”
“We don't know.”
Dominic looked at me.
“We're going back.”
When we arrived, the mansion appeared empty.
Too empty.
Dominic noticed first.
“Where are the guards?”
Marcus checked his phone.
“No response.”
Dominic drew his gun.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Stay behind me.”
We entered.
The lights were on.
The doors were unlocked.
Then I heard something.
A music box.
A melody.
Soft.
Familiar.
My mother's favorite song.
I followed the sound toward the west wing.
Dominic grabbed my wrist.
“No.”
“That's my mother's song.”
He listened.
The melody continued.
Inside Elena's old room, the piano bench was open.
A hidden compartment had been exposed.
Inside was a small envelope.
Dominic took it.
His hands shook.
The envelope contained one photograph.
Four people stood together.
Dominic's father.
Arthur Kane.
A younger Vincent.
And a fourth man whose face had been scratched out.
On the back, my mother had written:
The fourth man is the real king.
Dominic stared.
“Who is Vincent?”
“Your security chief.”
“He was there?”
“Yes.”
“Then he knows.”
Marcus appeared in the doorway.
He had heard everything.
His face was unreadable.
“Dominic.”
Dominic turned.
“How long?”
Vincent—Marcus had always used Marcus as an alias—finally admitted it.
“Your father recruited me when I was nineteen.”
Dominic raised his weapon.
“You knew about Elena.”
“Yes.”
“You knew who killed her.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Emma's mother.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your father threatened her.”
Dominic's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Who was the fourth man?”
Marcus looked at me.
Then at Dominic.
“Your uncle.”
Dominic's face went cold.
“My uncle died before I was born.”
“No.”
Marcus swallowed.
“He disappeared.”
“Where is he?”
“I don't know.”
A phone began ringing.
My phone.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice whispered.
“Ask Dominic who really owns the mansion.”
The call ended.
Dominic looked at me.
Then toward the windows.
A red laser appeared briefly across his chest.
“DOWN!”
He tackled me to the floor.
May you like
The window exploded.
And the war officially began.
