Chapter 4 - My Mother’s Secret
My mother wanted to meet at the oldest diner in the city.
No guards.
No Dante.
No phones.
At least, that was what she requested.
I almost didn’t go.
Then I looked at Lily sleeping in her crib.
I needed answers.
Mrs. Patel agreed to stay with her.
Dante didn’t.
“I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You’re going anyway.”
“Yes.”
He sighed.
“I’ll have someone watch from a distance.”
I wanted to argue.
I didn’t.
The diner was crowded.
My mother sat in a corner booth.
She looked older than I remembered.
Smaller.
Tired.
“Mom.”
She stood and hugged me.
I remained stiff.
“You grew up.”
“I’m twenty-four.”
She almost smiled.
“I know.”
We sat.
“What did you mean yesterday?”
She looked around.
“Dante is dangerous.”
“I know.”
“He saved your life because he needs you.”
“Why?”
“Because of your father.”
I froze.
“My father?”
She looked down.
“Your father wasn’t a construction worker.”
I stared.
She closed her eyes.
“He was connected to the Moretti organization.”
The word organization was carefully chosen.
“You mean crime.”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
“I worked for them too.”
My stomach turned.
“Mom, what did you do?”
“Books. Transfers. Shell companies.”
“The $27,000?”
She nodded.
“I know about the account.”
“Did you take it?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
She whispered one name.
“Martin.”
My heart stopped.
“Dante’s security chief?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he steal my money?”
“Because James was supposed to bring him something.”
“What?”
“An accounting ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“My father’s ledger.”
I blinked.
“Grandfather?”
“No.”
She looked directly at me.
“Dante’s father.”
Everything became clearer.
“And James took it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
I almost laughed.
“James abandoned me.”
“He thought disappearing would save you.”
“He stole everything!”
“He stole from you because Martin had threatened Lily.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“What?”
“James was working for Martin.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He was.”
“Why?”
“Because he was terrified.”
My mother reached across the table.
“Sophia, James discovered that Martin was laundering money through fake charities. He copied records. Martin found out. He threatened him.”
“And James used my account?”
“To hide the money he needed to escape.”
“The $27,000.”
“Yes.”
I stared at her.
“So James didn’t steal it because he wanted money.”
“No.”
“He was trying to protect us.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t he tell me?”
“Because Martin was watching you.”
I remembered the black sedan.
The hospital.
The apartment.
My blood chilled.
“Where is James now?”
My mother hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“You know something.”
She looked toward the window.
“I know Martin isn’t working alone.”
“Who is helping him?”
She whispered:
“Dante.”
I stopped breathing.
“No.”
“I saw them together.”
“When?”
“After Lucas died.”
My mind raced.
Dante had said Lucas was murdered.
What if Dante had been involved?
“You said Dante’s father was involved.”
“He was.”
“And Dante?”
“He inherited the organization.”
“So he’s the one.”
My mother’s voice broke.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“He didn’t inherit it willingly.”
I stared.
“He tried to leave.”
“What happened?”
“They killed his father.”
I went silent.
“Then they tried to kill Dante.”
“Who?”
“The same people who killed Lucas.”
“Martin?”
“Yes.”
“But you said Dante was involved.”
“I said I saw them together.”
“Why?”
“Because Martin was pretending to work for Dante.”
My eyes widened.
He had infiltrated the organization.
For years.
And Dante had allowed it.
My mother suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“You must leave Chicago.”
“What?”
“Tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because Martin knows you spoke to me.”
A loud crash sounded outside.
Everyone in the diner turned.
A black SUV parked across the street.
My mother stood.
“Run.”
“What?”
“Now.”
We moved toward the back exit.
A gunshot shattered the front window.
People screamed.
I ducked.
My mother dragged me through the kitchen.
We ran into an alley.
A car screeched around the corner.
Dante.
He jumped out.
“Sophia!”
My mother froze.
Dante looked at her.
“Evelyn.”
She stared back.
“You.”
He walked toward us.
“I told you to stay hidden.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Martin found you.”
My mother shook her head.
“No. He found her.”
She pointed at me.
Dante’s expression darkened.
A second later, one of his men shouted.
“Move!”
We ran.
Back at Dante’s office, he locked the floor.
My mother sat across from him.
I stood between them.
“You knew,” I said.
Dante looked at me.
“I knew Martin was corrupt.”
“You knew my mother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew James.”
“Yes.”
“You knew everything.”
“Not everything.”
“Why did you hire me?”
“Because Martin was getting close.”
“Then I was bait.”
“No.”
His answer was immediate.
“You were never bait.”
“Then what?”
He looked at Lily through the glass wall.
“A reason.”
My breath caught.
“A reason for what?”
“To finish this.”
That evening, Dante showed me a hidden room beneath his office.
Walls covered in photographs.
Lucas.
Evelyn.
James.
Martin.
Me.
Lily.
There was one more photograph.
A woman I had never seen.
Young.
Beautiful.
Brown hair.
Amber eyes.
I stared.
“Who is she?”
“My sister, Sofia.”
My own name.
One letter different.
Dante touched the photograph.
“She was murdered twelve years ago.”
I felt dizzy.
“What does she have to do with Lily?”
“Everything.”
He pointed at the date.
The day she disappeared.
Then at Lily’s birth date.
The dates were connected through a number sequence.
I didn’t understand.
Dante did.
“My sister left something behind.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“A child.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“But you said she had a daughter.”
“She did.”
“Lily?”
“No.”
I waited.
“My sister’s daughter was adopted.”
“By whom?”
Dante’s voice nearly broke.
“Your mother.”
I stared.
The room spun.
“No.”
“Your mother raised my sister’s child.”
“Who?”
May you like
Dante met my eyes.
“You.”
