Chapter 5 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
The person waiting for us was Roman's former mentor, Adrian Vale.
His uncle.
Officially dead for eleven years.
Unofficially, he had been living under another identity in a protected house outside Chicago.
When he saw me, he smiled.
“Daniel's daughter.”
I stared.
“You knew my father?”
“I knew everyone who mattered.”
Roman stepped between us.
“Where is Daniel?”
Adrian looked at him.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“First tell me whether you still trust Luca.”
Roman's jaw tightened.
“No.”
Adrian smiled.
“Then you're finally ready.”
He gave us an address.
We drove there immediately.
My father was sitting in a small room above an abandoned bookstore.
Older.
Thinner.
Gray at the temples.
Alive.
“Dad?”
He stood.
“Emma.”
I ran into his arms.
For a few seconds, nothing existed except the fact that he was breathing.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe it.”
“I had to.”
“I hated you.”
“I know.”
He held me tighter.
“I am sorry.”
Roman stood by the door.
My father looked at him.
“Roman.”
Roman nodded.
“Daniel.”
My father laughed.
“You still look like your father.”
“I hope not.”
“He would have hated that answer.”
They smiled.
Then my father became serious.
“Luca has the ledger.”
Roman nodded.
“I know.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You don't understand.”
“What?”
“The ledger was never meant to destroy the Vale family.”
“Then what?”
Daniel looked at me.
“It was insurance.”
“Against whom?”
“Everyone.”
He explained.
Roman's grandfather had built alliances with politicians, judges, police officials, criminal organizations and corporations.
The ledger documented it all.
But Daniel had discovered something worse.
Luca had been secretly rebuilding those alliances.
While Roman believed he was dismantling the old system, Luca was creating a new one.
The missing millions were not simply stolen.
They were funding a network intended to replace Roman.
“Why?”
Daniel looked at Roman.
“Because Luca believes he should run the city.”
Roman stared.
“He thinks he can.”
“He already does.”
My stomach sank.
“What about me?”
Daniel looked at me.
“You inherited the final key.”
“What key?”
“The account.”
Roman nodded.
“The account in her name.”
“Yes.”
My father's face became serious.
“Inside it is not just money.”
“What then?”
“The original ledger.”
I stared.
“You hid it there?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody would suspect my daughter.”
Roman looked at me.
“You're the only person who can access it.”
“How?”
My father smiled sadly.
“With something you have had since childhood.”
I thought of a necklace.
A small silver pendant my father had given me when I was ten.
He had always told me never to lose it.
I touched it.
“This?”
“Yes.”
Roman stared.
“It's a key.”
My father nodded.
I removed the chain.
Inside the pendant was a tiny compartment.
A chip.
Roman took a breath.
“Jesus.”
The three of us traveled back to Vale Holdings.
Security was doubled.
Arthur met us upstairs.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Luca has taken control of three major companies.”
Roman frowned.
“How?”
“He used your authorization.”
Again.
I looked at the documents.
The false signature.
The transfers.
The missing contract.
The pattern became obvious.
Luca was slowly transferring legitimate assets into shell companies.
Then he would kill the debt.
And Roman would appear responsible.
I pointed to a transfer.
“This one.”
Roman looked.
“What?”
“It happened before the first forged authorization.”
“So?”
“He knew you would be blamed.”
Arthur looked at me.
“You're saying the operation started before we noticed.”
“Yes.”
Roman's expression darkened.
“Then we find the source.”
A gunshot exploded somewhere downstairs.
Security alarms screamed.
Arthur drew his weapon.
“Everyone stay here.”
Roman moved toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
He looked at me.
“If you die, I will kill you myself.”
A tiny smile crossed his face.
“Stay with Arthur.”
He left.
Minutes passed.
Then more gunshots.
I heard shouting.
Footsteps.
The door opened.
Luca entered.
Blood covered his sleeve.
Roman was nowhere behind him.
My heart stopped.
“Where is he?”
Luca smiled.
“Busy.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
He walked toward me.
“Your father made one mistake.”
“What?”
“He thought you were just a daughter.”
I stepped back.
“You used me.”
“I used everyone.”
He held up a small device.
“The pendant.”
I froze.
“The key.”
“Yes.”
“I won't give it to you.”
He smiled.
“You don't have to.”
He pressed the device.
My laptop turned on.
The account interface appeared.
Luca had somehow accessed it.
“How?”
“Your father built the system.”
He looked at me.
“And your father always trusted the wrong person.”
He turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
“I almost forgot.”
He placed a photograph on the desk.
Roman.
Bound to a chair.
Alive.
A message was written across the bottom.
BRING THE KEY ALONE.
Luca left.
I stared at the photograph.
Arthur entered seconds later.
“Emma.”
May you like
I looked at him.
“I know where we're going.”
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