Chapter 7 - THE HOUSE BETRAYED ME
For the first time in twenty years, I understood what true fear felt like.
It wasn't fear of dying.
It was fear of arriving too late.
I ran into the house.
“Marco!”
Nothing.
“Grace!”
Nothing.
The mansion was empty.
Except for Donnelly.
She sat in the library chair with her hands tied.
I ripped the tape from her mouth.
“Where are my daughters?”
She coughed.
“Basement.”
I froze.
“What?”
“They didn't leave.”
I ran.
The basement door was open.
Inside, the lights flickered.
Then I heard crying.
Nora.
I followed the sound.
A hidden door stood open behind the wine racks.
Inside was a tunnel.
My house had a tunnel.
I had owned the mansion for eight years.
I had never known.
I ran through it.
At the end was an underground garage.
Three cars.
One was empty.
Another was damaged.
The third had blood on the driver's door.
My phone rang.
“Dominic.”
Victor.
I stopped.
“Where are my children?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt them—”
“You'll do what?”
I could hear his smile.
“Kill me?”
“Yes.”
“No, Dominic.”
A pause.
“You won't.”
“Try me.”
“You still don't understand.”
“What?”
“You've spent twenty years believing you built an empire.”
Victor's voice became colder.
“You inherited one.”
I clenched my jaw.
“And you were supposed to control it.”
Silence.
Then:
“Isabelle ruined everything.”
“What did you do to her?”
“I gave her a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Disappear or watch her daughters die.”
My heart pounded.
“Where is she?”
“Come alone.”
“Where?”
“Your father's old warehouse.”
I knew it.
Brooklyn.
The building had been abandoned for years.
I drove there.
When I arrived, the doors were open.
Inside were dozens of men.
Not Victor's men.
My men.
People who had worked for me for years.
They stood silently.
Weapons lowered.
Victor stood at the center.
Beside him was Isabelle.
Alive.
She looked thinner.
Older.
But alive.
I couldn't move.
She looked at me.
“Dominic.”
I walked toward her.
Victor raised a gun.
“Stop.”
I stopped.
Isabelle's eyes filled with tears.
“I'm sorry.”
I shook my head.
“Don't.”
“I didn't know if you were safe.”
“You let me bury you.”
“I had no choice.”
“You had me believe you were dead.”
“I know.”
“You let our daughters think you were gone.”
“I know.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
She broke.
“Because Victor had Nora.”
I stared.
“What?”
“He took her from the hospital.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“Only for three hours,” Isabelle said. “But those three hours were enough.”
She looked toward Victor.
“He showed me what he could do.”
Victor smiled.
I raised my weapon.
He pressed his against Isabelle's head.
“Don't.”
I froze.
Then footsteps sounded behind me.
Marco.
Grace.
My daughters.
Alive.
Marco had a gun pointed at Victor.
Grace stood beside him.
Victor looked confused.
“How?”
Marco smiled.
“You forgot something.”
“What?”
“You've been watching the wrong cameras.”
He held up a phone.
“The system was never compromised.”
Victor's face changed.
“We let you think it was.”
I stared at Marco.
He nodded.
“Your security team was working with me.”
Victor slowly lowered his weapon.
Then he laughed.
“You think this ends with me?”
He pointed at Isabelle.
“She isn't your wife.”
My blood froze.
“What?”
Victor smiled.
“Ask her who the father of your oldest daughter really is.”
I looked at Olivia.
Isabelle closed her eyes.
And whispered:
“Dominic…”
May you like
Victor laughed.
“You're about to learn what your wife has been hiding for seven years.”
