Chapter 4 - The Woman Who Was Supposed To Be Dead
The truth came at them in pieces.
Evelyn had survived the fire.
Thomas had survived the disappearance.
They had spent twelve years hiding.
But why?
Because they had been building a case.
Against Dominic's father.
Against the men who helped him.
And against the people still controlling Russo Global.
Dominic sat in his study late into the night.
Penelope stood by the window.
"Why didn't they come for you?"
She turned.
"They did."
"What?"
"Three times."
"Then why didn't they take you?"
"Because my father believed I was safer inside your company."
Dominic frowned.
"Safer?"
"Nobody looks for the truth in the person they're laughing at."
He remembered every time Mateo had mocked her.
Every time she had pretended to be frightened.
Every time Dominic had dismissed her as harmless.
She had been playing a role.
A role so convincing that even he had believed it.
"What did you know about me?"
"Not much."
"You studied me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I needed to know whether you were your father's son."
Dominic was silent.
"And?"
Penelope looked at him.
"You're not."
Something unfamiliar moved in his chest.
Before he could answer, the lights went out.
Gunfire exploded downstairs.
Dominic grabbed Penelope.
"Stay here."
"No."
"Penelope."
"If they came for me, they won't stop."
He opened the drawer beside the desk and handed her a small pistol.
She stared.
"I don't know how to use it."
"Then don't."
He left.
The hallway became chaos.
Men rushed through the estate.
Raphael's security team returned fire.
Dominic fought his way downstairs.
Mateo appeared beside him.
"They're after the files."
"Where's Penelope?"
"Upstairs."
Dominic turned.
He ran.
He found her standing in front of the hidden wall safe, staring at an open compartment.
Someone had beaten her there.
The safe was empty.
"What's missing?"
Penelope's face was pale.
"The photograph."
"Which one?"
"My father's confession."
"What confession?"
She looked at him.
"The one naming everyone involved."
Dominic's eyes hardened.
"Who knew about it?"
Penelope whispered:
"Your chief accountant."
Dominic froze.
The accountant had worked for him for eleven years.
He had been loyal.
At least that was what Dominic had believed.
They found him leaving through the garage.
He ran.
Raphael caught him.
Inside his briefcase was the confession.
He had not destroyed it.
He had stolen it.
Dominic read it.
Names.
Payments.
Murder orders.
And one final line.
THE PERSON WHO ORDERS THE KILLINGS NOW IS NOT THE PERSON YOU THINK.
At the bottom was a signature.
Mateo Valente.
Dominic slowly looked toward the door.
Mateo stood there.
He didn't move.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Mateo said:
"Don't."
Dominic's gun appeared.
"Explain."
Mateo raised both hands.
"Those signatures were forged."
"By whom?"
"By the man who's been playing both sides."
"Who?"
Mateo looked at Penelope.
"Your boss."
Dominic frowned.
"What?"
Mateo's expression turned grim.
"Your father's old lawyer. Victor Hale."
Penelope closed her eyes.
"My father warned me about him."
Dominic looked down at the confession again.
Victor had been his legal adviser for more than a decade.
The man had access to every contract.
Every trust.
Every transfer.
Every private account.
Dominic understood the scale of it.
The entire conspiracy had never ended.
It had simply changed hands.
Then the building shook.
A bomb detonated somewhere outside.
Windows shattered.
Penelope screamed.
Dominic grabbed her and pulled her to the floor.
When the noise stopped, he looked at her.
She was breathing hard.
Her glasses were cracked.
He removed them gently.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
Then she whispered:
"Dominic."
"What?"
"Victor knows about the final key."
"What final key?"
She looked at him.
"The one that opens the vault under the river."
Dominic stared.
"What's inside?"
May you like
Penelope answered:
"Everything."
