Chapter 2 - Luca Moretti Made One Promise—No One Would Ever Put Their Hands On Her Again
Noah was asleep when Evelyn saw him.
He was curled beneath a yellow blanket in a bedroom that looked more like a nursery inside a castle than a temporary room in a stranger’s house.
Evelyn stood in the doorway.
She did not move.
She simply looked.
His little chest rose and fell.
One tiny hand rested beneath his cheek.
His blue rabbit sat beside him.
Its missing ear was exactly where she remembered.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
She had spent seven months believing every night might be the night someone found them.
Every unfamiliar car had made her heart race.
Every knock had made her freeze.
Every time Noah coughed, she had wondered whether they had somehow been poisoned.
And now he was sleeping peacefully.
Because Luca Moretti had moved him without telling her.
She should have hated him.
Instead, she was standing in a hallway trying not to cry from relief.
“You can hold him.”
She turned.
Luca stood behind her.
“Are you always this quiet?”
“Yes.”
“It’s unsettling.”
“I’ve been told.”
Evelyn walked into the room.
Noah stirred.
His eyes opened.
For half a second, he stared.
Then his whole face changed.
“Mama.”
Evelyn fell to her knees beside the crib.
“Oh, baby.”
She lifted him carefully.
Noah wrapped both arms around her neck.
She closed her eyes.
“I’m here.”
He touched her cheek.
“Mommy.”
She laughed through tears.
“Yes.”
Luca remained near the door.
Noah looked over her shoulder.
Then pointed.
“Man.”
Evelyn glanced at Luca.
“He’s a friend.”
Noah frowned.
Apparently, he had not approved.
Luca stepped closer.
“No.”
Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not a friend?”
“Not yet.”
She almost smiled.
Noah reached toward him.
Luca hesitated.
Then, surprisingly, extended one finger.
Noah grabbed it.
For the first time since Evelyn had met him, Luca smiled.
It was brief.
Almost imperceptible.
But it changed his entire face.
“You have a soft side,” Evelyn whispered.
“No.”
“You smiled.”
“I didn’t.”
“I saw it.”
“You imagined it.”
She laughed quietly.
Noah rested his head on her shoulder.
Luca looked at them.
Something unreadable moved through his eyes.
Then he spoke.
“You’re staying here.”
Evelyn stiffened.
“No.”
“This place is secure.”
“I’m not living in a criminal’s mansion.”
“You are already working in it.”
“That’s different.”
“Not anymore.”
She glared.
“I have a job.”
“You’re not cleaning my house.”
“Then what am I doing?”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t know how to do nothing.”
“I noticed.”
He left.
Evelyn stared after him.
The next morning she discovered he had replaced her uniform with a stack of clothes.
Sweaters.
Jeans.
Shoes.
A coat.
She found him in the breakfast room.
“You bought me clothes.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t ask for them.”
“You needed them.”
“I can buy my own.”
“You can.”
“So why did you?”
He looked at her.
“Because the shoes you were wearing were two sizes too small.”
She looked down.
The blister on her heel was bandaged.
“You noticed.”
“I notice everything.”
Evelyn sat.
Breakfast appeared.
She stared.
“Do you always feed people against their will?”
“Only stubborn ones.”
For a strange moment, they ate in silence.
It should have felt awkward.
Instead, it felt almost normal.
Then Luca’s phone rang.
His entire demeanor changed.
“Go ahead.”
He listened.
“Where?”
Pause.
“Who confirmed it?”
Another pause.
“Bring him to the garage.”
He hung up.
Evelyn frowned.
“Problem?”
“Your husband’s lawyer.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What about him?”
“He tried to access your old medical records.”
“Why?”
“He’s looking for evidence that you’re alive.”
“Then he knows.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn’s spoon slipped from her fingers.
“What do we do?”
Luca looked at her.
“We let him find what we want him to find.”
He spent the afternoon explaining the plan.
They would make it appear that Evelyn had been moved overseas.
A false trail.
False bank records.
False sightings.
A fabricated hospital admission.
Grayson would chase a ghost while Luca searched for the people behind him.
But Evelyn noticed something.
“You’re not just protecting me.”
“No.”
“You’re investigating him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Luca’s expression hardened.
“Because Grayson Hale has been connected to three disappearances.”
Her blood chilled.
“Women?”
“Yes.”
“Are they dead?”
“We don’t know.”
Evelyn looked at Noah.
“Then find them.”
Luca met her eyes.
“I will.”
Three days later, Evelyn was helping Rosa organize books in the library when the power went out.
The room went dark.
Noah was upstairs with a nanny.
Evelyn froze.
She heard movement.
Someone whispered.
Then a hand closed around her mouth.
She struggled.
A cloth covered her nose.
A sharp chemical smell filled her lungs.
Her body weakened.
The last thing she saw was a shadow moving behind the curtains.
She woke in a locked room.
Her wrists were tied.
Her head throbbed.
A man sat across from her.
“Mrs. Hale.”
She stared.
“Who are you?”
“Someone who would prefer you stop making trouble.”
“Where is my son?”
“Safe.”
“Liar.”
He smiled.
“You have no idea what Grayson is capable of.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“You work for him.”
“We all work for someone.”
The door opened.
Another man entered.
He was older.
Gray-haired.
Well dressed.
And Evelyn recognized him from television.
Senator Malcolm Hale.
Grayson’s father.
He smiled.
“You’ve caused my family quite a bit of trouble.”
Evelyn’s stomach twisted.
“Where is my son?”
“You’ll give him up.”
“No.”
“You will.”
“No.”
The senator’s smile disappeared.
“You don’t understand what kind of world you're standing in.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“No.”
She said quietly.
“You don’t understand what kind of mother you’re dealing with.”
He slapped her.
Her face snapped sideways.
Silence filled the room.
Then the door exploded inward.
Luca entered.
He looked nothing like the man who had shared breakfast with her.
He looked like death.
His eyes found the red mark on her cheek.
Then everything inside him went cold.
“Who touched you?”
Nobody answered.
Luca stepped forward.
The guards reached for weapons.
His men were faster.
Within seconds, the room was under control.
Luca walked to Evelyn.
He cut the restraints.
His hands shook.
Not from fear.
From rage.
“Are you hurt?”
She stared at him.
“Luca…”
“Who?”
She touched her cheek.
“The senator.”
Luca looked up.
Malcolm Hale had gone pale.
“You made a mistake.”
The senator swallowed.
“You think you're untouchable?”
Luca walked toward him.
“No.”
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
“I know exactly how touchable I am.”
He leaned closer.
“But you just put your hands on the wrong woman.”
Evelyn watched as Luca’s men dragged Malcolm away.
Within twenty-four hours, three major Hale businesses were frozen.
Within forty-eight hours, two campaign donors withdrew their support.
Within seventy-two hours, federal investigators received documents that had been anonymously assembled for months.
And within one week, the entire city understood something.
Luca Moretti had stopped playing defense.
May you like
He was coming for the Hales.
And Evelyn Hart was the reason.
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