Chapter 2 - The Mafia Boss Took the Maid and Her Daughter to His Safe House—Then Lily Found a Second Message Hidden in the USBDominic's safe house was nothing like the mansion.
It was smaller.
Quieter.
Hidden behind a row of expensive townhouses on the Upper East Side.
Lily hated it immediately.
“There are cameras.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“Six.”
She frowned.
“Seven.”
Dominic looked genuinely impressed.
“You counted the hallway mirror.”
“It reflects.”
He almost smiled.
I noticed.
The man who terrified half of New York seemed strangely helpless around my daughter.
Maybe because she had no fear of his reputation.
Maybe because she had already decided he was Daddy material.
That night, Lily refused to sleep without her rabbit.
Dominic found a blanket.
Then another.
Then a night-light.
Then a children's book.
He came back with four.
She looked at them.
“I only need one.”
“I wasn't sure.”
She stared.
“You don't have kids.”
“No.”
“Then why do you have all these books?”
“I don't.”
“Where did you get them?”
He hesitated.
“The internet.”
She laughed.
I almost did too.
It was the first peaceful moment in days.
But peace didn't last.
At 2:00 a.m., the USB was analyzed.
Dominic called me downstairs.
“There are encrypted files.”
“How many?”
“Twenty-three.”
My heart stopped.
“Can you open them?”
“Eventually.”
He looked at me.
“Unless we know the password.”
I thought about Daniel.
His habits.
Our daughter.
The things only he would choose.
Then Lily walked in.
“Daddy used birthdays.”
Dominic looked at her.
“What birthday?”
“Mine.”
She typed it.
The files opened.
Photos appeared.
Bank transfers.
Documents.
Videos.
And a spreadsheet.
Dominic stared.
“This is Dock Seventeen.”
He looked at me.
“Your husband was tracking shipments.”
“Daniel wasn't a criminal.”
“I know.”
Another file opened.
The shipping containers were connected to businesses owned by Vincent Russo.
Another file.
Caroline Vale.
Another.
Nadia Bellini's father.
And then one name that made Dominic go completely still.
His late father.
RICHARD MORETTI.
Dominic closed his eyes.
“What?”
I looked at the screen.
“Your father was involved.”
“My father died twelve years ago.”
Daniel's records showed payments continuing after his death.
Dominic whispered,
“Someone used his identity.”
Then Lily pointed.
“Look.”
A video.
Daniel stood in a warehouse.
Alive.
Speaking to someone.
We watched.
He looked terrified.
“The account is hidden under the Romano trust.”
Another man's voice.
“You don't understand what you're doing.”
Daniel responded,
“I understand exactly.”
The video ended.
Dominic stood.
“Who is the man?”
“I don't know.”
Lily walked closer to the screen.
“That's Uncle Vincent.”
Dominic froze.
“You know him?”
“No.”
“But I saw him in the video.”
She pointed.
The man had been younger.
But the face was clear.
Vincent.
Dominic's right hand.
His oldest adviser.
The man who had raised him after his father's death.
Dominic looked furious.
Then the lights went out.
Someone attacked the safe house.
Security moved.
Dominic grabbed us.
“Stay here.”
I pulled Lily behind me.
Shots echoed downstairs.
Then silence.
Dominic returned ten minutes later.
Blood stained his sleeve.
He was not badly hurt.
But his expression had changed.
“We're moving.”
“Why?”
“Because they found us.”
“How?”
He looked at the cameras.
“Someone inside my organization.”
Lily whispered,
“Uncle Vincent.”
Dominic nodded.
“I know.”
Then she said,
“Not him.”
“What?”
“Someone else.”
She pointed at the wall.
A small red light blinked.
Dominic crossed the room.
He ripped open the panel.
A transmitter.
Another voice came through.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Dominic went still.
It was Daniel.
Not the recording.
Live.
“Let my family go.”
Dominic grabbed the microphone.
“Daniel?”
Silence.
“Where are you?”
“Not far.”
“Show yourself.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because the person listening is sitting beside you.”
Everyone froze.
Dominic looked at me.
Then Lily.
Then his own guards.
He ordered everyone out.
Only the three of us remained.
The microphone clicked.
Daniel spoke again.
“Dominic, your family isn't trying to steal your empire.”
“Then what?”
“They're trying to kill you.”
The transmission ended.
Dominic looked at Lily.
“Your father is alive.”
She nodded.
“I knew.”
“What?”
“He talks to me.”
My blood went cold.
“How?”
“Sometimes in my dreams.”
Dominic looked at me.
I closed my eyes.
“Lily doesn't know the difference between dreams and memories.”
Dominic stared at my daughter.
May you like
Then he said the one thing that changed everything.
“Your father has been alive all along.”
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