Chapter 4 - Valerie's Secret
Valerie Whitmore arrived at Dominic's mansion the following morning wearing sunglasses and fury.
“You've been avoiding me.”
Dominic continued reading the file in front of him.
“I've been busy.”
“With her.”
His eyes lifted.
“Careful.”
Valerie removed her sunglasses.
“You think I don't know what you're doing?”
“What am I doing?”
“Protecting that waitress.”
Dominic closed the file.
“Her name is Norah.”
Valerie laughed.
“You don't even know her.”
“I know enough.”
“You know she was planted.”
Dominic went still.
“Explain.”
Valerie smiled.
“You never wondered why she suddenly started working at Bellissimo?”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“She applied like everyone else.”
“No.”
Valerie walked closer.
“She was sent.”
“By whom?”
“Your enemies.”
“Which enemy?”
Valerie hesitated.
That hesitation told Dominic everything.
“You don't know.”
“I know more than you think.”
“Then tell me.”
Valerie folded her arms.
“Call off your men.”
“No.”
“Dominic.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“You're choosing a waitress over your fiancée?”
“You've misunderstood.”
“Then what is she?”
Dominic stood.
“A witness.”
Valerie's expression changed.
“Witness to what?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether you're telling me the truth.”
Valerie went silent.
Dominic walked around the desk.
“You knew about the Bellmont Hotel.”
“No.”
“You knew about Norah's mother.”
“No.”
“You knew Norah had been watched.”
Valerie's lips parted.
Dominic stepped closer.
“How?”
She didn't answer.
His phone rang.
He answered.
“Mercer.”
A man's voice came through.
“Boss, we found the second attacker.”
“Where?”
“Your fiancée's charity gala.”
Dominic's eyes moved to Valerie.
“What?”
“Security caught him entering through the staff entrance.”
Dominic hung up.
Valerie's face had gone pale.
“You're coming with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to see who works for you.”
“That is insulting.”
“So is lying to me.”
At the gala, police cars surrounded the building.
Dominic walked through the crowd.
Then he saw the suspect.
A young man.
Twenty-five.
Bleeding from his eyebrow.
Dominic recognized him.
“Where have I seen you?”
The man smiled.
“At the Bellmont.”
Dominic froze.
“You worked there?”
“No.”
“Then?”
The man looked toward Valerie.
“She knows.”
Valerie stepped backward.
Dominic turned.
“Valerie.”
She shook her head.
“I don't know him.”
The suspect laughed.
“Tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
“That your father paid Elena Bennett to disappear.”
Dominic's face hardened.
Valerie whispered:
“My father is dead.”
“Dead men leave records.”
The suspect looked at Dominic.
“And one of those records proves something much worse.”
“What?”
The man smiled.
“Your fiancée's family didn't just know about your uncle's murder.”
He paused.
“They ordered it.”
May you like
Dominic slowly turned toward Valerie.
For the first time since he had known her, she looked genuinely terrified.
