Chapter 5 - THE BRACELET
“The embassy?” Alessandro leaned closer, his dark eyes tracing the crayon lines. “Are you certain?”
“Positive,” Sophie said, her voice trembling with realization. “When I was ten, my father taught me how to clean the gears of the embassy’s grand clock in the main foyer. The jagged lines Leo drew—they aren't a map of a house. They represent the internal gear mechanism of the clock. Papa hid the ledger inside the pendulum housing.”
Alessandro swore under his breath in Italian. “The French Embassy was shut down for renovations last year. The contents were liquidated.”
He immediately picked up his phone, dialing a secure line. He spoke rapidly in Italian for two minutes before hanging up, his face grim.
“The clock was sold,” Alessandro said. “It’s currently sitting in the private gallery of Marcus Vance, a billionaire antiquities dealer. And he’s hosting an exclusive black-tie auction tonight at his estate in the Hamptons. The clock is the centerpiece.”
Sophie stood up. “We have to go bid on it.”
“You can’t,” Alessandro said, pacing the room. “Vance’s auction is invitation-only for New York’s elite. Camilla will be there. Her family uses Vance’s auctions to launder their dirty money. If you walk in looking like a runaway waitress, you’ll be dead before you reach the appetizers.”
“Then I won’t look like a waitress,” Sophie said, her voice hardening. She looked at Alessandro, her chin raised. “I am Sophie Dubois. For eighteen years, I attended galas with presidents and prime ministers. I know how to walk, how to speak, and how to command a room. Give me a dress, Moretti.”
Alessandro stared at her. The fierce, unbreakable fire in her eyes made him pause. For a moment, the hardened mafia capo looked genuinely awestruck.
“Maria!” Alessandro called out.
The older woman hurried in. “Yes, boss?”
“Take Miss Dubois to the master closet. Find her something stunning.” Alessandro turned back to Sophie. “I will stay here with the boy. My guards will protect this penthouse with their lives. But you will need a cover identity.”
“I’ll go as a wealthy buyer from Monaco,” Sophie said. “I just need the capital to bid.”
Alessandro opened his safe and pulled out a black titanium credit card. “This has a limitless ceiling. Do not lose the bid.”
An hour later, Sophie stepped out of the bedroom.
She wore a breathtaking, floor-length midnight-blue gown that clung to her curves, her hair swept up in an elegant French twist. She looked exactly like the wealthy diplomat’s daughter she had once been.
Alessandro stood by the fireplace, staring at her. He didn't say a word for a long time.
“You look like royalty,” he finally murmured.
“I need one more thing,” Sophie said. “Vance’s people will check my jewelry to verify my wealth. I need something real.”
Alessandro walked over to a small velvet box on his desk. He opened it, revealing a stunning, antique diamond bracelet. The stones caught the firelight, flashing brilliantly.
“Wear this,” Alessandro said, carefully clasping it around her wrist. His fingers lingered against her skin, warm and slightly rough.
Sophie looked down at the bracelet, and a cold shock ripped through her.
She turned the clasp over. Etched into the gold were three initials: M.D. + L.M.
Marie Dubois and Lorenzo Moretti.
“This was my mother’s,” Sophie gasped, looking up at him in horror. “My mother died when I was five. How do you have her bracelet?”
Alessandro’s eyes softened with a deep, hidden pain. “Because your mother and my father were secretly engaged before she was forced to marry your father for political gain. Our families have been tied together for decades, Sophie. I’m not just saving you because of the ledger. I’m saving you because my father swore he would always protect Marie’s children.”
Sophie couldn't process the revelation. Everything she thought she knew about her family history was unraveling.
Before she could speak, a massive explosion shook the penthouse.
The heavy steel door at the front of the apartment blew entirely off its hinges, crashing onto the marble floor in a cloud of smoke and fire.
May you like
“They found us!” Alessandro yelled, drawing his weapon.
Through the smoke, four heavily armed men in tactical gear stormed into the penthouse.
