Chapter 3 - The Man Who Knew Her Before She Met HimSarah discovered the truth by accident.
It was a rainy Thursday night.
Dominic had left the restaurant ten minutes earlier.
Sarah was carrying dishes toward the kitchen when a man approached her.
Tall.
Gray-haired.
Expensive coat.
He stared at her as though he'd seen a ghost.
“Sarah?”
She stopped.
“Yes?”
The man went pale.
“Claire's daughter.”
Sarah's stomach tightened.
“Did you know my mother?”
He stepped backward.
Before he could answer, Dominic appeared.
His presence changed the entire room.
“Martin.”
The man turned.
“You know her?”
Dominic's voice was cold.
“Yes.”
“From where?”
Martin looked at Sarah.
“You should ask your mother.”
“She’s dead.”
Silence.
Martin lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
Dominic stepped between them.
“Leave.”
Martin hesitated.
Then he obeyed.
Sarah stared at Dominic.
“Who was that?”
“No one.”
“That's a lie.”
“Yes.”
She blinked.
He didn't deny it.
“Tell me.”
“I can't.”
“Can't or won't?”
“Both.”
She walked away.
Dominic followed.
“Sarah.”
“No.”
“I don't want you involved.”
“I already am.”
He stopped.
She turned.
“You knew my mother.”
“I knew of her.”
“How?”
“She worked for someone I knew.”
“Who?”
He hesitated.
“Your father.”
Sarah went still.
“My father is dead?”
Dominic said nothing.
Her world changed.
“My father isn't dead.”
“I didn't say he was.”
“You just said—”
“I said he worked for someone I knew.”
Sarah's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Dominic finally answered.
“Arthur Quinn.”
She froze.
Her father.
Missing for nineteen years.
The man her mother had always said abandoned them.
“You know where he is?”
“No.”
“Have you seen him?”
“No.”
“Then why did you say his name like that?”
Dominic looked away.
“Because your family has been connected to mine for a long time.”
Sarah felt cold.
“Why?”
He didn't answer.
She walked out.
For three days, she ignored him.
Then her brother became ill.
She called anyway.
Dominic arrived in thirteen minutes.
He drove her to the hospital himself.
He stayed until dawn.
At 7:00 a.m., the specialist came out.
Eli was stable.
Sarah collapsed against the wall.
Dominic caught her.
For several seconds, she simply cried.
He held her.
No promises.
No speeches.
Just presence.
Later, Sarah whispered:
“Tell me the truth.”
He looked at her.
“Your father once worked for my family.”
“How?”
“Accounting.”
She laughed bitterly.
“My father was an accountant?”
“Yes.”
“And he disappeared because?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
Dominic looked exhausted.
“I know pieces.”
“Give me the pieces.”
He sat beside her.
“Your father discovered money was being moved out of the Castellane organization.”
“How much?”
“Millions.”
“And he vanished.”
“Yes.”
“Was he killed?”
“We never found a body.”
Sarah looked at him.
“You said ‘we.’”
“Yes.”
“You searched?”
“After my brother died, I searched.”
She looked confused.
“Why?”
“Because Tobias believed your father had stolen from us.”
Sarah stared.
Her heart pounded.
“And you?”
“I believed something else.”
May you like
“What?”
“That someone stole from both of us.”
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