Chapter 5 - The Husband Who Came Back From the Dead
The lights flickered back on.
Roman was standing between me and the shattered window.
Blood dripped from his shoulder.
“Harrison?”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Across the hallway, a man emerged from a side entrance.
My husband.
He looked exhausted.
His face was bruised.
His coat was torn.
He had a gun in his hand.
He stared at me.
“Chloe.”
I couldn't move.
Roman raised his weapon.
“Drop it.”
Harrison slowly lowered his gun.
“I didn't come to hurt her.”
“Then why did you send her to me?”
Harrison looked at me.
“I needed you to believe I was gone.”
“You left me.”
“I know.”
“You sold me.”
“I know.”
“You put my name on criminal transactions.”
“I know.”
I stepped forward.
“Then don't stand there pretending you're protecting me.”
Harrison flinched.
Roman looked between us.
“Talk.”
Harrison nodded.
“Someone inside the organization betrayed me.”
“Who?”
“Margaret Vale.”
Roman's eyes narrowed.
“Daniel's attorney.”
Harrison nodded.
“She wasn't working for Daniel.”
“Who was she working for?”
“I don't know the name.”
Roman's voice hardened.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
Harrison reached into his coat.
He pulled out a photograph.
I froze.
It showed a woman standing beside Amelia.
Alive.
Older.
But unmistakably her.
My cousin.
Roman took the photo.
“Where is she?”
“Queens.”
“Where?”
Harrison looked at me.
“She has been moved.”
“By whom?”
“The person who took her twelve years ago.”
I stared.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the moment you knew, they would come for you.”
“They came anyway.”
“I know.”
“You left me at an airport.”
“To save your life.”
“You abandoned me.”
“I put you in the path of the one man they were afraid to approach.”
I looked at Roman.
“Him?”
Harrison nodded.
“Roman.”
Roman's face remained unreadable.
“You trusted me to protect her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because my father feared your father.”
Silence.
Roman’s eyes darkened.
“And you believed I would honor that?”
“I knew you would.”
Harrison looked at me.
“Because you loved her.”
I recoiled.
“What?”
Roman didn't move.
Harrison gave a bitter smile.
“You don't know, do you?”
Roman's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Enough.”
Harrison continued anyway.
“Your father knew what happened to Chloe's family.”
Roman stepped forward.
“And you?”
“I found out six months after our marriage.”
I stared at Harrison.
“You knew my family was connected to yours.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I thought I could fix it.”
“With my life?”
“With my life.”
He pulled another document from his coat.
“I signed the debt agreement.”
I stared.
“I signed it because they threatened Amelia.”
“And when they demanded me?”
“I refused.”
“But the contract says…”
“I changed the terms.”
Roman's eyes narrowed.
“How?”
“I made them believe Chloe was collateral.”
Roman went still.
“Then I made sure Roman would intercept her.”
I looked at him.
“You planned all of this?”
Harrison nodded.
“Except they moved faster than I expected.”
“Who?”
“The people controlling the ports.”
Roman asked, “Who is above them?”
Harrison looked at me.
Then at Roman.
“The Marcelli Group.”
Roman's face changed.
“The Marcellis are dead.”
“Most.”
“Who survived?”
Harrison whispered one name.
“Lucia Marcelli.”
Roman's expression hardened.
Everyone in the room seemed to understand the danger except me.
“Who is she?”
Harrison answered.
“The woman who ordered Amelia’s kidnapping.”
My hands trembled.
“Why?”
“Because she believed Victor Costa stole something from her.”
“The ledger.”
“No.”
Harrison looked directly at me.
“Something much more valuable.”
“What?”
He stepped closer.
“Your mother.”
My blood ran cold.
“My mother is dead.”
“No.”
The word was barely audible.
“She isn't.”
The room went silent.
“I saw her.”
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
“Where?”
“In Switzerland.”
My mind raced.
“Why did she disappear?”
Harrison swallowed.
“Because she was working with Victor.”
“To expose the trafficking network.”
“Yes.”
“Then why abandon me?”
“Because they threatened you.”
I shook my head.
“You should have trusted me.”
“I did.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Harrison looked at Roman.
“Your mother found the original ledger.”
Roman stared.
“And?”
“She gave it to Amelia.”
“What happened?”
“Amelia was captured.”
I covered my mouth.
“And my mother?”
“Captured too.”
“Then how are they alive?”
Harrison said nothing.
A new voice came from the doorway.
“You really should have told her sooner.”
Everyone turned.
A woman stood in the hall.
Gray coat.
Dark hair.
Tired eyes.
My heart stopped.
The woman looked at me.
“Chloe.”
I knew that voice.
I hadn't heard it in eighteen years.
But I knew it.
“Mom?”
She nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
I ran to her.
For one moment, nothing else existed.
Not Roman.
Not Harrison.
Not the Mafia.
Not the money.
Only my mother.
The woman I had spent half my life believing was dead.
She held me carefully around my swollen stomach.
“I thought I would never see you again.”
I cried into her shoulder.
“Why didn't you come back?”
“Because they were watching you.”
“Who?”
My mother pulled away.
“Lucia Marcelli.”
Roman moved closer.
“Where is she?”
My mother looked at him.
“She knows about the ledger.”
I felt the tiny memory card in my pocket.
My mother saw my expression.
“She knows where it is.”
“Then we have to move.”
My mother nodded.
“She'll come here.”
Roman turned to his men.
“Lock everything down.”
But my mother shook her head.
“No.”
Roman stopped.
“She doesn't need to come here.”
“Then where?”
My mother looked at me.
“She wants Chloe.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why?”
My mother whispered the truth.
“Because Chloe is the last living person who can identify the man who betrayed her.”
I stared.
“Who?”
My mother turned toward Harrison.
Then Roman.
May you like
Then finally me.
“Your father.”
