Chapter 2 - Damiano Questioned His Bride-to-Be in Front of Me, and My Daughter Described the Secret Meeting She Thought No One Could SeeVivienne laughed.
It sounded forced.
“I'm sorry, but this is absurd.”
Damiano didn't laugh.
He looked at her.
“Where were you at 7:12?”
She blinked.
“What?”
“Tonight.”
“I was upstairs.”
“Doing?”
“Getting dressed.”
“For what?”
“The meeting.”
Damiano's eyes narrowed.
“You were in the basement.”
Vivienne froze.
I could see the exact moment she realized he knew.
She recovered quickly.
“I went down there for wine.”
“You were there seventeen minutes.”
She smiled.
“You monitor how long I drink wine?”
“No.”
His voice turned colder.
“I monitor people who lie.”
Vivienne looked at me.
“This is because of her.”
Her finger pointed toward Emma.
“She doesn't understand what she saw.”
Emma hugged her doll.
“I understand.”
Vivienne took a step toward her.
Damiano moved between them instantly.
“Don't.”
She stopped.
Then Damiano looked at Emma.
“Tell me what happened.”
“She had a box.”
“What kind of box?”
“Black.”
“Did the man put something inside?”
Emma nodded.
“Then he put it under the desk.”
“What did the woman do?”
“She said hurry.”
My heart pounded.
Damiano's gaze remained on Vivienne.
“What did she say next?”
Emma looked at the floor.
“She said the men would all die.”
Silence.
Vivienne shook her head.
“No.”
Emma continued.
“She said after tonight, Daddy would be gone.”
Damiano's expression went completely blank.
“Daddy?”
Emma looked confused.
“She said Daddy would die too.”
I stared at Vivienne.
She had planned to kill the dons.
And Damiano.
The peace meeting wasn't the objective.
It was an elimination.
The entire East Coast leadership could have been wiped out in one explosion.
Damiano reached for his phone.
“Bring me the basement footage.”
His security chief did.
The screen showed Vivienne entering.
Then a man.
The sad-eyed man.
He carried a case.
They spoke.
The audio was faint.
Damiano raised the volume.
Vivienne's voice became clear.
“Once the meeting begins, trigger it.”
The man asked:
“And Damiano?”
“He'll be inside.”
“And the girl?”
Vivienne hesitated.
Then:
“The housekeeper will take the blame.”
My stomach dropped.
Me.
She had planned to frame me.
The security chief stopped the recording.
Damiano looked at me.
His face was unreadable.
I whispered:
“She wanted to blame me?”
“Yes.”
Vivienne's expression changed.
“Damiano, listen to me.”
He raised one hand.
She went silent.
“You have ten seconds.”
“For what?”
“To explain why I shouldn't bury you tonight.”
She started crying.
“You don't understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
She looked at Emma.
Then me.
Finally, she whispered:
“I didn't know the bomb would be armed.”
Emma frowned.
“You did.”
Vivienne stared at her.
The child had caught another lie.
Damiano nodded.
“Continue.”
Vivienne admitted she had been working with the sad-eyed man.
His real name was Adrian Vale.
Former military explosives specialist.
He had been hired by someone outside the city.
The person who wanted the peace agreement destroyed.
“Who?”
Vivienne refused.
Damiano leaned closer.
“Who?”
She shook her head.
“If I tell you, they'll kill my family.”
“And if you don't?”
She stared at him.
“I'll die.”
“Yes.”
I expected him to order her killed.
Instead, he said:
“Not yet.”
He ordered her locked down.
Then turned to me.
“Sophia.”
“Yes?”
“You're leaving with Emma.”
I nodded.
“Where?”
“Somewhere safe.”
He paused.
Then:
“With me.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because anyone who can place a bomb inside my private office can reach anyone inside this house.”
He looked at Emma.
“Especially her.”
Emma looked up at him.
“Are you going to hurt Mommy?”
His face softened.
“No.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She studied him.
Then smiled.
“Okay.”
The door opened.
A guard rushed in.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“Four of the five dons have arrived.”
I froze.
Already?
Damiano looked toward his security chief.
“Cancel the meeting.”
The man hesitated.
“They're already entering the property.”
Damiano's face hardened.
Then he said:
“No one leaves.”
He looked at me.
“Stay close.”
The fifth don arrived thirty seconds later.
All five were now inside the mansion.
And somewhere beneath the building, someone had already armed a second device.
Emma suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Mama.”
“What?”
She pointed toward the floor.
“There's another red light.”
I looked down.
Under the Persian carpet.
A tiny glow.
Damiano saw it too.
He swore.
Then shouted:
May you like
“EVERYONE DOWN!”
The floor exploded.
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