Chapter 2 - Dominic Knew My Husband’s Name Before I Told Him—And the File He Sent Me Proved Evan Had Been Working for His Organization Before He “Died”I barely slept.
At six in the morning, Lily climbed into my bed.
“Mommy.”
I opened my eyes.
“Good morning.”
“I'm hungry.”
I laughed.
“Of course you are.”
She crawled under the blanket.
“Can we have pancakes?”
“We can.”
“Can Mr. Dominic come?”
I nearly choked.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he's busy.”
“He likes pancakes.”
“How do you know?”
“He told me.”
I stared.
Lily smiled.
“He said you make better pancakes.”
I covered my face.
This man had apparently spent one hour with my daughter and learned more about my life than some people knew after years.
We ate breakfast.
I tried to behave normally.
Then a black sedan stopped outside my apartment.
I recognized the driver.
Dominic had sent him.
I went downstairs.
The driver handed me an envelope.
“No charge.”
“What is it?”
“Mr. Moretti said you'd understand.”
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Evan.
Alive.
Standing beside Dominic.
The date was five years before our supposed accident.
My hands began shaking.
I turned the photograph over.
One sentence.
HE WORKED FOR ME.
I called Dominic.
He answered immediately.
“Good morning.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“My husband worked for you.”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
“Security.”
I sat.
“He never told me.”
“He couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because the work was confidential.”
“Was he a criminal?”
Silence.
Then:
“He crossed lines.”
My stomach tightened.
“What kind?”
“The kind men in my world cross when they think they're protecting their families.”
I hated how vague that was.
“What happened to him?”
“I thought he was dead.”
“You thought?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you say he didn't die?”
“Because the evidence says otherwise.”
He sent another file.
Medical records.
The burned vehicle.
DNA results.
The body had been too damaged for conclusive identification.
The original identification was based on dental records.
But those records had been altered.
Someone had replaced Evan's dental files.
I stared at the screen.
“He wasn't in the car.”
“No.”
“Then who was?”
“We don't know.”
I felt sick.
“What did you do?”
“I searched.”
“Why didn't you find him?”
“I found pieces.”
“What pieces?”
“Payments.”
“From whom?”
“Your husband.”
My heart tightened.
Dominic explained that Evan had been investigating someone inside his organization.
A financial network.
Money laundering.
Illegal contracts.
Potential corruption.
Evan had taken evidence.
Then disappeared.
The accident was staged.
Someone wanted everyone to believe he was dead.
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
“You always know.”
“Not this time.”
That answer scared me.
Dominic Moretti admitting uncertainty was more frightening than anger.
“Why did Lily mention your name?”
“She didn't.”
“She said Evan's second name was Marino.”
Dominic went silent.
“Evan used that name inside the organization.”
I froze.
“My daughter knows?”
“She shouldn't.”
“She heard you.”
“No.”
I looked toward the kitchen.
Lily was coloring.
“What?”
Dominic's voice lowered.
“Someone taught her.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who?”
“That's what I'm trying to find out.”
I hung up.
Then immediately regretted it.
There were too many questions.
Not enough answers.
I needed to know what happened to Evan.
But I also needed to keep Lily safe.
I went to her school.
She was already there.
I watched from the car.
A black SUV sat across the street.
Dominic's security.
Another vehicle sat half a block away.
I didn't recognize it.
A man stepped out.
Gray coat.
Dark glasses.
He looked toward the school.
My instincts screamed.
I called the school.
“Keep Lily inside.”
The principal hesitated.
“Why?”
“Safety concern.”
I didn't explain.
The man in the gray coat disappeared.
I called Dominic.
“Someone is watching my daughter.”
“We know.”
“You know?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since yesterday.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't want to frighten you.”
“I'm already frightened.”
“I know.”
A pause.
Then:
“I'll come.”
“No.”
“Emily.”
“No.”
“I need you to trust me.”
“I don't.”
“Fair.”
His honesty caught me off guard.
Then he said:
“But trust the fact that I will not let anyone hurt your daughter.”
I looked at the school.
“Fine.”
He arrived in twenty minutes.
He came inside without security.
He met me in the principal's office.
“I found something.”
“What?”
He handed me another file.
A picture of Michael Carter.
Evan's brother.
Michael was standing beside the same man from the gray coat.
My stomach tightened.
“Who is he?”
“Richard Vale.”
“Who?”
“He owns several private security companies.”
“What does he want?”
“Your husband had evidence against him.”
“What evidence?”
“Financial transfers.”
“And?”
“Child trafficking.”
I stared at him.
My blood turned cold.
Evan had discovered something much bigger.
He had tried to expose it.
He disappeared.
Michael was involved.
Now someone was watching Lily.
The connections were horrifying.
I looked at Dominic.
“You could have told me sooner.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you?”
He looked away.
“Because I didn't know whether you could survive the truth.”
“I've survived six years without my husband.”
“You shouldn't have had to.”
That sentence silenced me.
His expression softened.
For a moment, the dangerous man disappeared.
There was only a tired man.
Then Lily entered the room.
She ran toward him.
“Mr. Dominic!”
He crouched.
“Hi.”
She signed something.
I translated.
SHE'S SAD.
Dominic looked at me.
“She says you're sad.”
“I know.”
“She thinks it's because of Daddy.”
Dominic looked at Lily.
“Maybe.”
Lily pointed at him.
YOU TOO.
He smiled.
“Maybe.”
Then she signed:
YOU KNOW DADDY.
He paused.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
GOOD.
Then she signed something faster.
I barely understood.
HE SAID DON'T TRUST THE MAN WITH THE WATCH.
I froze.
“What did she say?”
Lily pointed at Dominic's wrist.
He wore a gold watch.
“No.”
I looked at his watch.
She shook her head.
Not you.
Then she pointed toward the window.
Outside was the gray-coated man.
Wearing a silver watch.
My blood went cold.
Dominic's security reacted immediately.
The man disappeared.
A vehicle sped away.
Dominic's phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
“What?”
He listened.
Then hung up.
“What happened?”
“Richard Vale's house just burned.”
“Was he inside?”
“No.”
Dominic looked at me.
“He was waiting for us to find him.”
I swallowed.
“Where is he now?”
May you like
Dominic answered:
“Coming here.”
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