Chapter 5 - THE SECRET ELENA BURIED
Lily slept for nearly fourteen hours.
When she woke, she was in a bedroom larger than her entire apartment.
She sat up slowly.
The sheets were soft.
The curtains were enormous.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling.
She climbed out of bed.
A woman stood outside the door.
"Good morning."
"Where am I?"
"Mr. Moretti's house."
Lily frowned.
"Why?"
The woman smiled.
"Because your mother said it was safer."
Lily looked around.
"Is my mom here?"
"Yes."
Lily ran.
She found Elena in a library.
Her mother was sitting across from Dominic.
They were arguing.
"You can't keep her here."
"I can keep her alive."
"She's six."
"Exactly."
Elena stood.
"She needs normal."
Dominic looked toward the hallway.
"Normal didn't protect her."
Elena's face hardened.
"You think money will?"
"No."
Dominic paused.
"People will."
"You don't know how to be a father."
"I know how to protect people."
"That's not the same thing."
Lily appeared in the doorway.
"Mom?"
Both adults stopped.
Elena rushed toward her.
Lily hugged her.
Dominic remained still.
Lily looked at him.
"Thank you."
Dominic nodded.
"You're welcome."
Then she noticed the photograph on the desk.
A young Dominic stood beside Elena.
Lily looked from the photograph to her mother.
"Mom?"
Elena froze.
"Who's that?"
Dominic answered.
"Me."
Lily looked at Elena.
"Why do you have a picture with him?"
Elena didn't answer.
Lily's eyes narrowed.
"Did you know him before?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Elena sat down.
"It was a long time ago."
"How long?"
Dominic looked away.
"Seven years."
Lily did the math.
Her small face changed.
"Seven years?"
Silence.
"Mom..."
Elena closed her eyes.
Dominic understood immediately.
Lily had understood too.
"You met him before I was born."
Elena nodded.
"Yes."
Lily looked at Dominic.
"Did you know about me?"
Dominic's voice was barely audible.
"No."
The little girl looked hurt.
"Why?"
Dominic swallowed.
"Because I didn't know you existed."
Lily looked at her mother.
"Why didn't you tell him?"
Elena started crying.
"Because I was afraid."
"Of him?"
"Yes."
Dominic didn't defend himself.
Because she had every reason.
Lily walked to the window.
Outside was a garden larger than anything she had ever seen.
She whispered,
"So he's my dad?"
Elena covered her face.
Dominic answered.
"If you want me to be."
Lily turned.
"You are?"
Dominic nodded.
"Yes."
The girl studied him.
Then she asked the question that no one expected.
"Do you like pancakes?"
Dominic blinked.
"What?"
"Pancakes."
"I suppose."
"I like them."
A tiny smile appeared.
"Then we have something in common."
Lily smiled too.
For a few seconds, the room felt normal.
Then Dominic's phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
"What?"
Marcus's voice came through.
"We found the second copy."
Dominic stood.
"Where?"
"At the old Carter apartment."
Elena went pale.
Dominic looked at her.
"What?"
She whispered,
"They found it."
"What is it?"
Elena's eyes filled with fear.
"The ledger."
Dominic's phone remained against his ear.
Marcus continued:
"There's another problem."
"What?"
"Someone already took it."
Dominic looked toward Lily.
Then Marcus said:
"The security footage shows a man leaving the building."
"Who?"
"We don't know."
A pause.
Then:
"But we know where he went."
Dominic's voice became ice.
"Where?"
Marcus answered.
"To the police station."
The next morning, a detective named Sarah Collins entered the Moretti estate.
She carried a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a single photograph.
A photograph of Dominic.
Elena.
And a newborn baby.
Dominic stared at it.
"Who took this?"
Detective Collins said:
"Someone who wants you to know they're coming."
Elena looked at the photograph.
Her hands shook.
Because on the back was a handwritten message.
YOU HAVE SIX MONTHS.
Dominic turned it over.
Below the message was one final line.
THEN SHE DIES.
Lily.
The room went silent.
Dominic's expression became deadly.
"Who?"
Detective Collins looked directly at him.
"The person who ordered the shooting at your warehouse."
"And his name?"
She hesitated.
May you like
Then whispered:
"Your brother."
