Chapter 2 - The Girl Who Would Not Let Her Leave
Christmas morning came quietly.
Lily woke before sunrise.
For several seconds, she forgot where she was.
Then she saw the enormous bed, the pale curtains, and the snow-covered garden outside the window.
She sat up.
Ava was not there.
Panic rushed through her.
Then she heard laughter downstairs.
Lily got dressed in the clothes she had worn the night before and followed the sound.
She found Ava sitting at the kitchen island.
Roman stood beside a coffee machine.
The sight almost made Lily smile.
The feared Roman DeLuca was apparently incapable of making coffee.
Ava looked up.
"Lily!"
She ran toward her.
Lily caught her.
"Merry Christmas."
Ava hugged her tightly.
"Merry Christmas."
Roman looked over.
"Did you sleep?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Ava pointed toward the counter.
"Daddy burned breakfast."
Roman frowned.
"I didn't burn anything."
"It's black."
"It's toast."
"It's charcoal."
Lily laughed.
Roman looked at her.
"You agree with her?"
"Absolutely."
Ava beamed.
For the first time, Roman smiled.
It was brief.
But real.
Lily saw it.
She suddenly understood why people would follow him.
Not because he frightened them.
Because when Roman DeLuca chose to smile, the entire room changed.
Breakfast was chaotic.
Ava insisted Lily sit beside her.
Roman kept pretending not to care.
Then the front door opened.
Three men entered.
Arthur Rossi came first.
He had a scar across one eyebrow and the expression of a man who rarely found anything funny.
Behind him were two security officers.
Roman's mood changed instantly.
"What's happened?"
Arthur placed a folder on the table.
"The warehouse on Pier Eight was hit last night."
"Who?"
"We don't know."
Roman opened the file.
Lily noticed the same symbol printed in the corner of every page.
A black circle with a broken line through it.
"What is that?"
Roman looked at her.
"Nothing."
Arthur looked surprised.
Roman closed the folder.
"Not in front of Ava."
Lily noticed something.
Arthur kept glancing at her.
She finally asked:
"Do I know you?"
He shook his head.
"No."
"Then why do you look at me like that?"
Arthur hesitated.
Roman answered.
"He doesn't."
Arthur gave Roman a look that said otherwise.
Lily ignored it.
After breakfast, Ava dragged her into a room full of wrapped gifts.
Lily's eyes widened.
"These are all yours?"
"Most of them."
"Most?"
Ava opened one.
A doll.
Another.
A bicycle helmet.
Another.
A snow globe.
She stopped.
Then looked at Lily.
"Do you have presents?"
"No."
Ava frowned.
"Why?"
"I didn't ask for any."
"That doesn't matter."
She ran to another pile.
"Daddy!"
Roman appeared.
Ava pointed at Lily.
"She doesn't have a present."
Roman looked at Lily.
"Is that true?"
"Yes."
He nodded.
"Take her to the study."
Ava screamed with happiness.
Lily followed Roman.
He opened a small drawer.
Inside was a box.
Lily looked confused.
"I don't understand."
"You work for us now?"
"No."
"You're my daughter's guest."
"That's not a job."
"No."
He handed her the box.
"It's for you."
Lily opened it.
Inside was a delicate silver bracelet.
It was simple.
Beautiful.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I can't accept this."
"You already did."
"What?"
"You touched it."
She laughed through the tears.
"You're impossible."
"I've been told."
She noticed a small engraving inside.
A single letter.
L.
"L for Lily?"
"No."
He paused.
"For her."
He pointed toward Ava.
Lily looked at the girl.
Something inside her hurt beautifully.
That evening, after dinner, Ava asked Lily to help decorate cookies.
They worked in the kitchen while Roman took a phone call nearby.
Lily noticed he spoke in a completely different tone when conducting business.
Sharp.
Cold.
Controlled.
Then Ava whispered:
"Daddy becomes scary at work."
Lily smiled.
"He's scary in general."
Ava giggled.
"You're not scared."
"I was a little."
"Are you now?"
Lily looked at Roman.
"No."
That answer surprised her.
Neither Ava nor Lily noticed Roman had heard.
Later, Lily stepped onto the balcony.
Roman followed.
"You should wear a coat."
"I'll only be out for a minute."
He placed his coat around her shoulders anyway.
She looked at him.
"You're very controlling."
"Occupational hazard."
She laughed.
He stood beside her.
For a few moments they watched snow fall over the harbor.
Then Roman said:
"Why did you really agree to come?"
Lily looked down.
"Because she asked."
"Only that?"
She hesitated.
"No."
"What else?"
"I wanted to know what it felt like."
"What?"
"Being invited."
Roman's expression softened.
He wanted to say something.
Instead, his phone rang.
He answered.
His smile disappeared.
"Where?"
He listened.
Then:
"Lock the house."
He hung up.
Lily felt a chill that had nothing to do with snow.
"What happened?"
"Someone broke into Bellinis."
Her heart jumped.
"Mr. Bellini?"
"Safe."
"What did they want?"
Roman looked at her.
"They searched only one thing."
"What?"
"The employee files."
Lily stared.
"Why?"
"We don't know."
Arthur appeared.
"Sir."
Roman turned.
Arthur handed him an old paper.
Roman looked at it.
Then he looked at Lily.
"What?"
He gave her the page.
There was a photograph.
A woman.
Dark hair.
Young.
Standing outside a hospital.
Lily stared at it.
She knew the woman.
It was her mother.
Her breath stopped.
"I've never seen this photograph."
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"It was found in Bellinis."
"Why would my mother's photograph be there?"
Arthur said quietly:
"That's what we need to find out."
Lily's hands shook.
"My mother died when I was four."
Roman looked at the photo.
"Do you remember her?"
"Not clearly."
"Any names?"
Lily closed her eyes.
"Anna."
Roman's face changed.
"Anna Carter."
She opened her eyes.
"Yes."
Arthur looked at Roman.
"Sir."
Roman took the photograph from Lily.
On the back was handwritten:
ANNA KNOWS WHERE THE GIRL IS.
Lily felt cold.
"What girl?"
No one answered.
Roman looked at the Christmas tree through the window.
May you like
Then back at Lily.
"I think someone has been looking for you."
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