Chapter 3 - The SignatureBy midnight, Moretti Plaza had transformed into a war room.
The executive conference room overlooked Manhattan.
Snow covered the city like ash.
Dominic stood at the end of the table while Marco spread documents across polished walnut.
The termination order.
Evelyn's employment records.
Security footage.
Payroll records.
Archived correspondence.
The shoebox of letters.
Everything.
“Who signed the termination?” Dominic asked.
Marco pointed to the document.
“Victor Hale.”
Dominic's expression changed.
Victor Hale was the chief operating officer.
He had been with Moretti Group for twelve years.
More importantly, he had been one of Dominic's father's closest advisers.
“Why?”
“Official reason says financial misconduct.”
“Evidence?”
“None.”
“Witnesses?”
“None.”
“Then why terminate her?”
Marco hesitated.
“There's more.”
He slid over another document.
“Evelyn's employee file was altered yesterday.”
Dominic stared at it.
“What was changed?”
“Her emergency contact.”
Dominic looked down.
The original listed Lily Carter.
The new document listed someone else.
Victor Hale.
Dominic's eyes hardened.
“Why would Victor list himself as her emergency contact?”
Marco shook his head.
“That isn't the strangest part.”
He placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Evelyn entering an underground parking garage two nights earlier.
A black sedan waited for her.
The license plate had been deliberately blurred by the camera system.
Dominic looked at the timestamp.
“Where is she now?”
“We're trying to find out.”
“Try harder.”
Marco nodded.
Dominic walked toward the window.
Then Lily entered.
She had been given a room upstairs, food, pajamas, and a woman from the household staff to stay nearby.
But she wasn't sleeping.
She carried her rabbit.
“Mr. Moretti?”
Dominic turned.
“You can call me Dominic.”
She smiled slightly.
“Dominic.”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Are you my dad?”
The room went silent.
Marco looked down.
Dominic stared at her.
The question was simple.
The answer was not.
He knelt.
“I don't know yet.”
Lily's face fell.
“But my mom said you were.”
Dominic felt something crack inside him.
“Your mother wrote that?”
Lily nodded.
“She said you were supposed to know.”
Dominic took a breath.
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not knowing.”
Lily studied him.
“Are you mad at her?”
“No.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“Never.”
She came closer.
“Then can I stay here until you find her?”
Dominic looked at Marco.
Then back at Lily.
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Lily nodded.
Then she placed the rabbit on the chair.
“His name is Mr. Button.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“Good name.”
“He doesn't trust strangers.”
“Neither do I.”
That made Lily laugh.
It was the first sound of happiness in the room all night.
Then the elevator alarm sounded.
Marco's phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
“Dominic.”
“What?”
“Victor Hale is here.”
Dominic stood.
“Where?”
“Lobby.”
“Bring him up.”
Victor entered five minutes later.
Silver-haired.
Expensive suit.
Calm smile.
He looked at Lily.
Then at Dominic.
“I heard there was a child causing quite a disturbance.”
Dominic said nothing.
Victor's eyes shifted toward the shoebox.
For the first time, his smile disappeared.
“You found those.”
Dominic's voice became quiet.
“You know what's in this box.”
Victor straightened.
“Dominic, you don't understand.”
“I understand that you fired Evelyn.”
“She was stealing.”
“Proof?”
“She was unstable.”
“Proof?”
Victor's jaw tightened.
Dominic stepped closer.
“Why did you change her emergency contact?”
Victor's eyes flicked toward Lily.
“Because she was becoming a liability.”
Dominic's expression turned cold.
“A liability?”
Victor said nothing.
Dominic placed one letter on the table.
“Why did my father know about Evelyn?”
Victor froze.
That was enough.
Dominic understood.
His father had known.
Perhaps he had known everything.
Victor's silence had answered more than words could.
Dominic whispered:
“What did my father do?”
Victor looked toward the window.
“He protected the family.”
“From what?”
May you like
Victor's eyes returned to Lily.
“From the truth.”
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