Chapter 7 - THE LAST TRAITOR IN THE HOUSE
Claire had never been more frightened.
Not when she saw almond in the cake.
Not when Lily’s toxicology report came back positive.
Not when Rebecca’s hidden letter named men who had lived beside Dominic for years.
This was different.
Because Lily was on a live camera.
Inside the Romano mansion.
And whoever was filming her had not been detected.
Dominic stared at the phone in Salvatore’s man’s hand.
“Who is there?”
Salvatore smiled.
“Someone who understood that your security system was built to watch enemies entering.”
Claire understood before Dominic did.
Not entering.
Someone already inside.
She thought through the staff.
Margaret.
Anthony.
Kitchen employees.
Drivers.
Tutors.
Security.
Then she remembered the birthday.
The bakery delivery.
Who controlled the service gate?
She grabbed Detective Morris.
“Anthony.”
“What?”
“Dominic’s security chief.”
Morris stared.
“Why?”
“Celeste entered through the service entrance with the cake. Calder came later. Cameras recorded both.”
“Yes.”
“But nobody stopped Calder carrying a bakery box.”
Morris’s expression changed.
“Because someone cleared him.”
Claire looked toward the screen.
“Anthony runs the security desk.”
Morris was already calling the mansion.
No answer.
He called the officers stationed outside.
One responded.
“Front security says everything is normal.”
Claire’s stomach dropped.
“Who told them that?”
A pause.
Then the officer answered.
“Anthony.”
Dominic heard through the feed.
His face became stone.
Salvatore smiled.
“Now you’re learning.”
Dominic’s voice was almost too quiet to hear.
“Anthony has been with me sixteen years.”
“Exactly.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
“That simple?”
“Usually.”
Salvatore looked toward the live video.
Anthony appeared on screen.
Claire’s heart broke.
He walked into Lily’s bedroom.
Lily looked up.
She trusted him.
Of course she did.
He had carried her asleep from cars since she was three.
He had taught her to ride a bicycle.
He called her principessa.
Lily smiled.
“Uncle Anthony.”
Dominic made a sound Claire had never heard from another human being.
Not anger.
Fear stripped down to instinct.
“If you touch her—”
Salvatore smiled.
“You’ll do what?”
Dominic looked toward the cameras.
Claire knew he was thinking.
For once, rage did not own him.
Rebecca’s letter.
Protect Lily first.
Truth second.
Revenge never.
“Anthony,” Dominic said.
The feed was two-way.
Anthony looked toward the hidden camera.
“Boss.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
The security chief’s face tightened.
“No, I made a mistake years ago.”
“What?”
“Believing loyalty paid.”
Dominic’s expression went cold.
“You were family.”
“Family doesn’t pay tuition.”
Dominic closed his eyes briefly.
Anthony had two sons.
One in medical school.
One at Princeton.
Salvatore had found the weakness.
Not hatred.
Fear.
Money.
“You needed help, you could have asked.”
Anthony laughed bitterly.
“From you?”
“Yes.”
“You would have wanted to know why.”
“I would have paid it.”
“You say that now.”
Dominic stepped closer to Salvatore.
The gun remained pointed at him.
“Anthony, look at Lily.”
The man on screen did.
Lily frowned.
“Are we playing something?”
Anthony’s face changed.
Dominic saw it.
So did Claire.
“You know her,” Dominic continued.
“You know what happens when she’s frightened. You sat outside an MRI machine because I was trapped in Newark. You brought her home from school when Rebecca died.”
Anthony’s jaw trembled.
Salvatore snapped, “Do what you were paid to do.”
Lily looked toward the hidden camera.
“Daddy?”
Dominic’s face broke.
“I’m here, baby.”
“Where are you?”
“Working.”
Claire nearly cried.
Lily sighed dramatically.
“You work too much.”
Even Salvatore blinked.
Dominic smiled faintly.
“I know.”
“Claire says that too.”
“I know.”
“Is Claire there?”
Dominic looked toward the warehouse wall.
“Yes.”
“I want her.”
Claire could not stay silent.
“I’m here, Lily.”
The child brightened.
“Are you making my new cake?”
Claire laughed through tears.
“Not tonight.”
Anthony looked at Lily.
Then at the camera.
His breathing changed.
Salvatore’s voice hardened.
“Anthony.”
The security chief reached beneath his jacket.
Dominic tensed.
Claire stopped breathing.
Anthony removed his gun.
Lily stared.
Then he placed it on the floor.
“I’m done.”
Salvatore’s face twisted.
“You idiot.”
Anthony kicked the weapon away.
Two police officers entered Lily’s room seconds later.
Lily screamed.
Margaret rushed in.
Claire nearly collapsed with relief.
Dominic exhaled.
Salvatore raised the gun higher.
“You ruin everything you touch.”
Dominic looked at him.
“No.”
His voice changed.
“You do.”
Police moved.
Everything happened at once.
A shot cracked through the warehouse.
Dominic dropped.
Vanessa screamed.
Salvatore tried to run.
Officers burst through both entrances.
Claire heard commands, shouting, metal striking concrete.
Then silence.
“Dominic?”
No response.
She was out of the vehicle before Morris could stop her.
By the time she reached the warehouse, Salvatore was on the ground in handcuffs.
Vanessa was being cut free.
Dominic sat against a pillar.
Blood covered his left sleeve.
Claire ran to him.
“You were shot.”
He looked at the wound.
“Grazed.”
“That is still shot.”
“Technically.”
“You are impossible.”
“Frequently.”
Her hands trembled as she touched his face.
Dominic went still.
Claire realized what she was doing.
She started to pull back.
He caught her hand.
“Don’t.”
The single word changed something.
Around them, police moved.
Paramedics entered.
Vanessa cried while giving statements.
Salvatore shouted about lawyers.
None of it existed for several seconds.
Dominic held Claire’s hand against his cheek.
“You came inside.”
“You told me not to.”
“I noticed.”
“Apparently I have a problem with orders.”
His mouth curved.
“I noticed that too.”
Then his expression became serious.
“Lily is safe.”
“Yes.”
“Anthony surrendered.”
“Yes.”
Dominic looked toward the floor.
“He betrayed me.”
“He also stopped.”
“That does not erase it.”
“No.”
Claire understood something then.
Dominic could hold two truths at once now.
A betrayal could remain a betrayal even when someone regretted it.
Love could remain love even after anger.
Justice did not require revenge.
Rebecca had tried to teach him that.
Maybe finally he was listening.
Vanessa approached.
An officer stayed beside her.
Her face was bruised.
Mascara streaked down her cheeks.
“Dominic.”
He looked up.
She stopped several feet away.
“I’m sorry.”
His expression revealed nothing.
“I didn’t know they were going to kill Rebecca.”
“But you knew about the medication.”
“I thought it was to keep Lily asleep so Celeste could search her room.”
Claire stared.
Dominic’s jaw hardened.
“You let them drug my daughter so they could look for Rebecca’s evidence.”
Tears filled Vanessa’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Salvatore told me Rebecca had hidden documents that could destroy everything. He said if the police found them, you would go to prison.”
Dominic laughed without humor.
“You told yourself you were protecting me?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
Vanessa looked away.
“He promised me money.”
There it was.
Not love.
Not fear.
Choice.
Dominic stood despite the paramedic’s protest.
“You will answer every question the police ask.”
Vanessa nodded.
“You will testify against Calder and Salvatore.”
Another nod.
“And you will never contact Lily.”
Vanessa began crying harder.
“Dominic—”
“No.”
His voice remained calm.
“She trusted you.”
“I loved her.”
“No. You loved how close being her future stepmother brought you to my life.”
Vanessa flinched.
Dominic continued.
“If you loved her, there would have been a line you would not cross.”
She lowered her head.
Police led her away.
Claire watched until she disappeared.
“What happens to her?”
Dominic looked exhausted.
“That is for prosecutors.”
Old Dominic would not have said that.
Claire noticed.
So did he.
An hour later, they returned to the mansion.
Lily ran through the entrance hall.
“Daddy!”
Dominic crouched despite his bandaged arm.
She hit him like a small tornado.
He held her tightly.
Claire stopped several feet away.
Lily looked over his shoulder.
“Claire!”
She ran again.
Claire caught her.
Lily wrapped both arms around her neck.
“You promised.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“I did.”
That night, Lily slept in Dominic’s room.
Claire remained in the chair beside the window.
Dominic lay awake.
At three in the morning, Lily turned in her sleep.
Her hand landed over his.
He looked at Claire.
“Rebecca saved us.”
Claire nodded.
“Four years later.”
“She knew.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t believe her.”
“You believe her now.”
“That doesn’t help her.”
“No.”
Claire looked toward Lily.
“But it helps her daughter.”
Dominic was quiet.
Then he said, “Stay.”
Claire’s pulse changed.
“I am staying until Lily sleeps.”
“No.”
His eyes held hers.
“I mean after.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“Dominic.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You are my employee.”
“Yes.”
“That makes everything complicated.”
“Yes.”
“I have a daughter who already loves you.”
Claire’s throat tightened.
“Yes.”
“And I am not asking you to become anything for her.”
She watched him.
“I am asking because when that gun was pointed at me tonight, there were two people I thought about.”
“Lily.”
“Yes.”
“And Rebecca?”
He shook his head.
“You.”
Claire’s heart stumbled.
Dominic looked almost angry with himself.
“I do not know when it happened.”
“That is not exactly romantic.”
“I have limited practice.”
She laughed softly.
Then became serious.
“This is trauma.”
“What?”
“Everything feels intense because we almost watched people die.”
“I know the difference between adrenaline and wanting someone.”
Her cheeks heated.
“Dominic.”
“I am not asking you for an answer tonight.”
“Good.”
“I am asking you not to disappear because this house became complicated.”
Claire looked at Lily.
“This house was complicated before I arrived.”
“Fair.”
She stood.
“I won’t disappear.”
Dominic’s shoulders loosened.
Then Claire added, “But I am quitting.”
His face changed instantly.
“What?”
She smiled.
“I cannot date my employer.”
He stared at her.
“Who said anything about dating?”
“Your face.”
“My face says very little.”
“Your face is currently offended.”
“I am extremely offended.”
Claire laughed.
Dominic stared at her.
Then, slowly, he laughed too.
Lily stirred between them.
“Shhh,” she mumbled.
Both adults stopped.
Claire covered her mouth.
Dominic whispered, “She has your attitude.”
“She is your daughter.”
“She did not tell me to be quiet until you started working here.”
Claire smiled.
Outside, dawn began turning the snow blue.
For the first time since Lily’s birthday, the house felt silent without feeling dangerous.
But one battle remained.
May you like
Dr. Henry Calder had not confessed.
And Rebecca Romano deserved the truth.
