Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN WHO WASN'T THE MISTRESS
Matteo's words made no sense.
His uncle was supposedly dead.
Yet someone had been moving money.
Harper had my father's watch.
Elias was alive.
And now Matteo was telling me the man behind everything was hiding in my city.
I stared at the bracelet on the desk.
“Where is Harper?”
“Safe.”
“With your uncle?”
“No.”
“Then why does she have my father's watch?”
“Because Elias gave it to her.”
“Why?”
“He wanted her to bring it to me.”
I laughed once.
“You expect me to believe this?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Matteo looked exhausted.
“I don't expect you to believe anything I say.”
“That's the first intelligent thing you've said tonight.”
Arthur entered quietly.
“Sir.”
Matteo turned.
“What?”
“The warehouse.”
“I know.”
“They found it empty.”
Matteo's jaw tightened.
“He knew we were coming.”
Norah looked between them.
“What warehouse?”
Matteo didn't answer.
Arthur did.
“Your husband's uncle had been using one of Mr. Rossi's properties.”
“For what?”
“Moving assets.”
“And people.”
Norah's stomach turned.
“What people?”
“Witnesses.”
Silence.
Matteo looked at me.
“This is bigger than my affair.”
“Yes.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you bring Harper on our honeymoon?”
He looked down.
“Because I thought keeping her close was safer than letting her disappear.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“It was the only one I had.”
“You could have told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn't know who was listening.”
I stared at him.
“You let me think you were humiliating me because you were cheating.”
Matteo's voice cracked.
“I know.”
“You let me think I was your second choice.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
He finally answered.
“Because if they thought you were angry with me, they would stop watching you.”
I stared at him.
It was almost convincing.
Almost.
Then he added something else.
“Harper was never supposed to be my mistress.”
The room went silent.
“She was working for me.”
“As what?”
“An informant.”
I laughed.
“You slept with her.”
Matteo closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
“You call that informing?”
“No.”
“Then what do you call it?”
“I call it the worst decision I made.”
For the first time, he looked ashamed.
Not afraid.
Ashamed.
But I wasn't ready to forgive him.
“Where is Harper?”
“She'll tell you herself.”
A door opened behind us.
Harper entered.
She wasn't wearing the white bikini from the photograph.
She wore a simple black dress.
Her eyes were red.
She looked at me.
“I am sorry.”
I crossed my arms.
“You should be.”
“I never meant to become part of this.”
“You slept with my husband.”
“Yes.”
“You came on my honeymoon.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me stay home alone while you were in Greece.”
Harper's voice broke.
“I know.”
“Then why should I listen to anything you say?”
“Because I have your father's watch.”
She placed it on the desk.
I stared.
“Where did you get it?”
“From Elias.”
“Why did he give it to you?”
“He said your father trusted him with one final thing.”
“What?”
Harper looked at Matteo.
“A list.”
Matteo's expression changed.
Harper continued.
“Your father kept records of people who had been approached by the consortium.”
“Which consortium?”
“The people behind the money.”
“And my father's watch?”
“It contains the key.”
I frowned.
“The watch?”
Harper nodded.
She pressed the back.
A tiny panel opened.
Inside was a micro-storage chip.
Arthur immediately stepped forward.
Matteo stopped him.
“Don't.”
Norah stared at Matteo.
“Why?”
“Because that's what they were looking for.”
“Then we need it.”
“Yes.”
“Now.”
Matteo looked at me.
“You don't understand what is on it.”
“Then explain.”
He hesitated.
“Names.”
“Whose?”
“People in my organization.”
“Law enforcement?”
“Some.”
“Your enemies?”
“Some.”
“And?”
Matteo looked away.
“People who work for me.”
I stared.
“So the list could destroy you.”
“Yes.”
That was the first time he sounded genuinely afraid.
Not for himself.
For everyone whose names were on the chip.
I looked at Harper.
“Why didn't you give it to him?”
“Because I didn't trust him.”
Matteo looked at her.
She continued.
“I trusted you more.”
That surprised me.
“Why?”
“Because you're carrying his child.”
Her answer was simple.
And somehow devastating.
She had seen what I hadn't.
Matteo's phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
He read it.
His face changed.
“What?”
He handed me the phone.
A photograph.
My baby blanket.
The one my mother had made before I married Matteo.
Someone had taken it from our nursery.
Under it was a note.
The child belongs to the family that survives.
My blood ran cold.
Matteo's expression became something I had never seen before.
Pure fear.
He grabbed his phone.
“Arthur.”
“Yes.”
“Lock down every entrance.”
Arthur nodded.
“Already done.”
Matteo looked at me.
Then at Harper.
Then at the watch.
“We leave.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere they can't reach.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Norah.”
“I've spent months being told what to do.”
I picked up my father's watch.
“This time, I decide.”
May you like
Then the lights in the entire house went out.
And from somewhere upstairs came the sound of glass breaking.
