Chapter 4 - Someone Threatened to Kidnap Emma Within Six Hours, and I Finally Learned Why My Six-Year-Old Son’s New Friend Had Become the Most Dangerous Child in BrooklynWe moved everyone to my private estate.
Sophia resisted.
“I can't stay here.”
“You can.”
“You don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“This is your world.”
“No.”
I looked at Emma.
“This is my son's world.”
She looked at me.
For the first time, I saw trust.
Small.
Fragile.
But there.
Security doubled.
Every entrance monitored.
Every vehicle checked.
I ordered Unit 418 opened.
Inside were boxes.
Old ledgers.
Photographs.
Contracts.
A black notebook with my father's handwriting.
I opened it.
The first page contained a list of names.
One stood out.
Thomas Rinaldi.
I stared.
Thomas hadn't just been my friend.
He had worked for my father.
Twenty-two years.
Before me.
Before Luca.
Before everything.
The ledger showed payments.
Thomas had received money.
Not from criminals.
From a private trust.
Then I found another entry.
Sophia Carter — protected family.
I froze.
Why would my father have protected Sophia's family?
I searched.
Her mother.
Her father.
Both names appeared.
My father had known them.
Then I found an old photograph.
My father.
Sophia's father.
Thomas.
And a fourth man.
I recognized him.
Elias Marconi.
One of the most dangerous financiers in New York.
I had believed he died fifteen years ago.
He hadn't.
He had been feeding money through the old network.
The ledger showed my father had opposed him.
Thomas had stayed neutral.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Then I found a second document.
A letter.
My father's handwriting.
Thomas,
If anything happens to me, protect Sophia's family.
She owes us nothing.
Do not allow Elias to use her.
I stared.
Thomas had known.
He had known Sophia wasn't a debtor.
He had known she was protected.
And he'd allowed forged documents to be created.
I confronted him.
“Why?”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Because he threatened my daughter.”
I stared.
“Who?”
“Elias.”
“What does he have?”
“Everything.”
“Your daughter?”
He nodded.
“He said he'd kill her.”
“Why didn't you come to me?”
“I was ashamed.”
“You betrayed me.”
“I know.”
I wanted to hate him.
But I couldn't.
Not completely.
He had still chosen silence.
He had still helped the enemy.
Then my phone rang.
A woman's voice.
“Mr. Moretti.”
“Who is this?”
“Someone who knows where Emma will be tonight.”
My blood went cold.
“You touch my son's friend and I'll find you.”
She laughed.
“You still think this is about money.”
“What is it about?”
“Blood.”
The call ended.
I looked at Thomas.
“Who?”
He whispered:
“My father.”
I froze.
His father was dead.
Supposedly.
Thomas continued:
“The man behind Elias.”
I felt something shift inside me.
The old network was alive.
Someone had been waiting decades.
And now they had targeted children to reach me.
I walked into the room where Luca and Emma were playing.
My son looked up.
“Dad?”
I knelt.
“I need you to listen.”
He nodded.
“You're going to stay with the guards.”
“Why?”
“Because someone wants to hurt Emma.”
He immediately moved closer to her.
“I won't let them.”
May you like
I looked at him.
“Neither will I.”
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