Chapter 3 - The Woman Hiding Behind a Familiar Face
Margaret had worked in my house for eleven years.
She knew the kitchen.
The halls.
The alarm codes.
My schedules.
My habits.
She knew where my mother had kept family photographs.
She knew every room where my father used to smoke.
If she was really Nora Bell, then she had spent a decade living beside me under another name.
I found her in the kitchen.
She was preparing tea.
She looked up.
“You're home early.”
I closed the door.
“Your real name is Nora Bell.”
The cup in her hand stopped shaking.
Then she put it down.
“I wondered when you'd ask.”
My anger exploded.
“You knew Clara was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me mourn her.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me hunt the people I thought killed her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I was trying to keep you alive.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You could have told me.”
“And then someone inside your organization would have killed her.”
“You mean Lorenzo.”
She looked at me.
“You already know.”
“Tell me everything.”
Nora sat down.
Her hands trembled.
“Twelve years ago, your father discovered that Lorenzo's father had been stealing from the family.”
“I know that.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You don't.”
She explained that my father didn't merely discover stolen money.
He discovered a network.
A criminal financial system connecting politicians, corporations, shipping companies, and gangs.
The Caruso organization wasn't the top of the pyramid.
It was one branch.
Lorenzo's father had been helping someone called the North Star Group.
The group wanted control of Chicago's ports.
My father refused.
Then Clara accidentally witnessed a meeting.
She told my father.
He confronted Lorenzo's father.
Two weeks later, the explosion happened.
My father's car was destroyed.
Clara's car was destroyed.
The entire city was told she was dead.
But Nora had found Clara alive.
She took her away.
“What happened to my father?”
“Lorenzo's father poisoned him.”
“And Lorenzo?”
“He knew.”
I felt sick.
“How did he become my right hand?”
“Because he convinced you he was loyal.”
“Was he?”
“No.”
Nora looked at me.
“Lorenzo has been waiting twelve years for the North Star Group to gain control of your empire.”
“Why didn't they simply kill me?”
“Because you became too powerful.”
That was the truth I had never considered.
They couldn't remove me.
So they surrounded me.
They fed me lies.
They gave me enemies.
They let me fight everyone except them.
Then Nora handed me a folder.
Inside were photographs.
Lorenzo meeting politicians.
Lorenzo meeting North Star representatives.
Lorenzo meeting my father's former lawyer.
There was one photograph that made my blood run cold.
Lorenzo standing beside the man who had supposedly died in the explosion.
My father's business partner.
Richard Kane.
Alive.
I stared.
“That man died.”
“No.”
Nora's voice was quiet.
“He disappeared.”
“Where is he?”
“Under another name.”
I stared at the photo.
Then another detail caught my eye.
The date.
The photograph had been taken six months ago.
Lorenzo had not been reacting to an old conspiracy.
He was running it.
I returned to Clara.
She was sitting near the fireplace.
I showed her the photograph.
She looked away.
“I remember him.”
“Richard?”
“Yes.”
“He was there that night?”
She nodded.
“He held the door while the men entered.”
I stared.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I thought you would kill everyone connected to him.”
“Maybe I should.”
She looked at me.
“Then what happens?”
“I get justice.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You get more bodies.”
I remained silent.
Clara continued.
“The people who hurt us want you angry.”
“Why?”
“Because angry men make predictable decisions.”
She was right.
My whole life had been built on reaction.
Someone attacked.
I retaliated.
Someone betrayed.
I destroyed them.
Someone threatened.
I ended them.
But now there was something different.
A chance to stop the cycle.
That evening, Lorenzo came to the estate.
He entered my study without knocking.
“Boss.”
I sat behind my desk.
“Sit.”
He did.
“You look troubled.”
“I found Clara.”
His face didn't move.
That almost impressed me.
Almost.
“Clara?”
“My sister.”
He smiled faintly.
“Boss, your sister is dead.”
I leaned forward.
“No.”
He studied me.
Then I placed the photograph of Richard Kane on the desk.
Lorenzo's eyes flickered.
Tiny.
But I saw it.
“Interesting photograph.”
“You know him.”
“I know many people.”
“You met him six months ago.”
Silence.
Then he laughed.
“You've been listening to gossip.”
“Nora Bell says otherwise.”
For the first time, Lorenzo looked afraid.
“She is alive?”
“Yes.”
He stood.
I pointed my weapon at him.
“Sit.”
He sat.
“You should have killed her,” I said.
“I tried.”
There it was.
The confession.
No excuses.
No denial.
Just one sentence.
I felt something inside me go very still.
“You ordered the attack tonight.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to kill Clara.”
“Yes.”
“You lied to me for twelve years.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Lorenzo looked at me.
“Because your family stole what was supposed to be ours.”
“My father rejected you.”
“Your father destroyed my family.”
“Your father betrayed mine.”
“He did what was necessary.”
I stood.
“Where is Richard?”
Lorenzo smiled.
“You'll never reach him.”
“Why?”
“Because you're already surrounded.”
A phone rang.
Mine.
Marco.
“Boss, we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Half our men just switched sides.”
I looked at Lorenzo.
He smiled.
May you like
“Welcome to the war.”
Then the windows shattered.
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