By Monday morning, Chloe Bennett had become a headline.
RUSSO HOLDINGS ASSISTANT QUESTIONED IN DEVELOPER'S DEATH.
Her photograph appeared beneath it.
The picture had been taken from her company profile.
Chloe stared at the article on Dominic's tablet and felt physically sick.
“They didn't even question me.”
“Facts are optional on slow news days,” Dominic said.
They were sitting inside a secure apartment owned by one of his companies.
Not his penthouse.
Not Chloe's home.
Somewhere intentionally anonymous.
“You should release a statement.”
“I did.”
“What did you say?”
“That my employee had no connection to Adrian Cole's death and that Russo Holdings would cooperate fully with authorities.”
Chloe looked at him.
“That's it?”
“What would you prefer? A sonnet?”
Despite everything, she smiled.
Dominic saw it.
For one second the room softened.
Then Marco entered.
“We traced the transmitter.”
Dominic stood.
“Where?”
“Purchased using a corporate security account.”
Chloe frowned.
“Whose?”
Marco slid a document across the table.
The signature belonged to Elena Voss.
Russo Holdings' chief legal officer.
Chloe stared.
“Elena?”
Dominic didn't react.
“She’s worked for you for eleven years.”
“Twelve.”
“You trust her.”
“I did.”
The correction chilled Chloe.
“What happens now?”
Dominic picked up his phone.
“We give her something to steal.”
The plan was simple.
That made Chloe hate it immediately.
They would create a false financial document showing that Dominic possessed evidence identifying the Harbor Point mastermind.
The file would exist only on Chloe's temporary laptop.
If Elena tried to access it, they would know.
“No,” Dominic said.
Chloe folded her arms.
“You haven't even heard my idea.”
“I know your idea.”
“You don't.”
“You want to return to work.”
“I need to return to work.”
“You're being watched.”
“Exactly.”
Dominic stared at her.
“No.”
“You said we need to catch whoever is doing this.”
“Not at your expense.”
“They already chose me.”
“That does not make you bait.”
Chloe stepped closer.
“You keep saying you trust me.”
“I do.”
“Then let me help.”
Dominic's jaw flexed.
“This isn't a board meeting.”
“No. It's my life.”
Something changed in his expression.
Chloe lowered her voice.
“I spent years being invisible because invisible felt safe.”
Dominic said nothing.
“My father left when I was nine. My mother worked double shifts until she got sick. Every apartment we lived in had thin walls and overdue bills. I learned very early that taking up less space meant causing fewer problems.”
Her throat tightened.
Dominic watched her carefully.
“I've spent my whole life trying not to become a problem for anyone.”
“You aren't.”
“I know that now.”
His eyes darkened.
Chloe continued.
“But I won't hide while someone destroys my name and uses me against you.”
Dominic looked away.
“Against me.”
“Yes.”
A bitter smile touched his mouth.
“So you understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Why I don't want you involved.”
She frowned.
Dominic took a slow breath.
Then, very quietly:
“I can survive someone coming after my business.”
Chloe's heart began beating faster.
“My money. My reputation. My territory.”
He looked at her.
“But the thought of someone touching you…”
He stopped.
That was more revealing than finishing the sentence would have been.
Chloe barely breathed.
“Dominic.”
He turned away.
“We'll use Marco instead.”
She reached for his hand.
It was instinctive.
The moment her fingers touched his, Dominic froze.
So did Chloe.
His hand was warm.
Larger than hers.
Callused in places she hadn't expected.
She should have let go.
She didn't.
“Look at me.”
He did.
The room seemed to narrow around them.
“I’m not asking you to stop protecting me.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I'm asking you to let me stand beside you while you do it.”
Dominic's thumb shifted against hers.
Once.
Almost unconsciously.
Then Marco's voice came from the doorway.
“Should I come back?”
Chloe jerked away.
Dominic did not.
He simply looked murderous.
Marco's mouth twitched.
“I'll take that as a yes.”
The plan began that afternoon.
Chloe returned to Russo Holdings under heavy security.
Employees pretended not to stare.
They failed.
Jessica from accounting rushed toward her.
“Oh my God.”
She hugged Chloe hard.
“I've called you like fifty times.”
“My phone was replaced.”
“Are you okay?”
Chloe looked toward Dominic's office.
His door was open.
He was watching.
“Yes.”
Jessica lowered her voice.
“That man at the club—I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you.”
“It's okay.”
“No, it isn't.”
Chloe squeezed her hand.
“We'll talk later.”
She sat at her desk.
Everything looked exactly the same.
Keyboard.
Calendar.
Stack of contracts.
Small cactus.
But Chloe wasn't the same woman who had left Friday night.
At four fifteen, Elena Voss appeared.
Elegant.
Silver-blonde hair.
Perfect navy suit.
“Chloe.”
She smiled sympathetically.
“How are you?”
“Better.”
“I heard about your apartment. Horrible.”
Chloe's stomach tightened.
Very few people knew about the apartment.
“Who told you?”
A pause.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
“Dominic mentioned it.”
Chloe knew he hadn't.
Elena's gaze moved toward the laptop.
“You're working already?”
“Trying to.”
“You should rest.”
“I hate being idle.”
Elena smiled.
“I understand.”
Then she walked into Dominic's office.
Chloe waited three seconds.
She opened a secure chat.
She knows about the apartment.
Dominic responded almost immediately.
Do nothing.
An hour later, Elena left.
At seven, most employees went home.
At eight fourteen, the trap triggered.
Marco appeared beside Chloe.
“She accessed it.”
“From where?”
“Legal department.”
Dominic emerged from his office.
“Lock the elevators.”
Marco nodded.
Suddenly alarms sounded.
Not fire alarms.
Security.
Dominic swore.
“What?”
Marco checked his tablet.
“Server room.”
Then the lights went out.
Emergency lights illuminated the floor in blood-red strips.
Chloe stood.
“What's happening?”
Dominic drew his gun.
The sight froze her.
“Stay behind the desk.”
“Dominic—”
“Chloe.”
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Several.
Fast.
Marco drew his weapon.
“Not ours.”
Dominic pushed Chloe behind the heavy desk.
“Stay down.”
Gunfire exploded.
The noise was deafening inside the glass office.
Chloe screamed and covered her head.
Glass shattered.
Dominic fired twice.
Someone shouted.
Marco moved through the hallway.
More shots.
Then silence.
Chloe's ears rang.
Dominic appeared.
“Chloe?”
“I’m okay.”
He crouched beside her.
His hands moved over her shoulders, arms, face, searching for injuries.
“I'm okay.”
He exhaled.
For half a second, his forehead touched hers.
Then Marco shouted.
“We have Voss.”
Dominic stood.
They found Elena near the emergency stairwell.
Two security men held her.
Her perfect suit was torn.
Her expression remained strangely calm.
Dominic approached.
“You betrayed me.”
Elena laughed softly.
“No.”
“No?”
“I corrected an old mistake.”
Dominic's face hardened.
“Whose?”
Elena looked at Chloe.
“Ask your assistant.”
Chloe stared.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
Elena smiled.
“Of course you don't.”
Then she looked at Dominic.
“Your brother knew.”
Dominic went rigid.
“Knew what?”
“That your father built the Russo empire on a lie.”
No one moved.
Elena continued.
“Gabriel discovered it. That's why he died.”
Dominic's face emptied.
“My brother died in a car accident.”
“No.”
Elena smiled sadly.
“Your brother was murdered.”
Chloe looked at Dominic.
For the first time since she'd known him, Dominic Russo looked shaken.
“By whom?” he asked.
Elena's eyes moved toward the dark windows.
Then back to him.
“Your father.”
The room went silent.
Dominic's father had been dead for three years.
But judging from Dominic's face, the ghost of Vittorio Russo had just walked into the building.
And he had brought an entire war with him.
---