Chapter 3 - The Secret Vault Beneath Union Federal
The safehouse in Evanston was unlike the sprawling glass-and-marble mansion in Chicago. It was a secluded stone fortress nestled on a cliff overlooking Lake Michigan, hidden behind towering pine trees and protected by high-voltage fences and twenty armed guards.
By 2:00 AM, the rain had turned into a fierce storm. Thunder rattled the reinforced windowpanes.
I sat in the guest bedroom, gently tucking Lily into bed. She still held Sarah’s red sweater against her cheek.
“Claire?” Lily whispered, her large brown eyes heavy with exhaustion.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Was Mommy really trying to protect me from Heaven?”
I smoothed a lock of hair from her forehead, my heart aching for the little girl. “Your mommy loved you more than anything in this world, Lily. She made sure that even after she was gone, the truth would find its way to you.”
Lily grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. “Don’t leave, okay? Vanessa always made the maids go away when I cried.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised softly. “I’ll be right outside this door.”
I stayed until Lily’s breathing deepened into sleep. When I finally stepped out into the hallway, I found Luca standing by the massive stone fireplace in the main hall, holding an untouched glass of bourbon.
The firelight cast long, sharp shadows across his broad shoulders and chiseled jaw. He had removed his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, revealing the dark, intricate tattoos that marked his rank in the syndicate.
“She’s asleep?” he asked without turning.
“Yes, Mr. Moretti. She was exhausted.”
Luca turned around. He looked at me with an intensity that made my pulse jump. “I haven't thanked you.”
“You don't need to thank me. I was just doing what was right for Lily.”
“No,” Luca said, taking a step toward me. “Any other maid in that house would have obeyed Vanessa out of fear. You risked your job—and your safety—to protect a dead woman’s memory.”
“Lily needed that sweater,” I said simply. “A child shouldn't have her mother erased just because it makes someone else uncomfortable.”
A faint, bitter smile touched Luca's lips. “Sarah had that same stubborn streak. She never backed down from a fight, even when she should have.”
He picked up the file from the coffee table. “Elena Vance. The woman in the photograph. Daniel’s team tracked her last known location to a safehouse near the navy pier. We’re bringing her in before sunrise.”
“Do you think Vanessa really poisoned Sarah?” I asked, the horror of the thought still chilling my blood.
Luca’s expression turned dark as midnight. “If she did, the Bellini family will cease to exist before the sun sets tomorrow.”
Suddenly, the house’s perimeter alarm chimed—a low, rhythmic pulse that signaled an approaching vehicle at the outer gate.
Luca’s hand immediately moved to the holster beneath his arm. “Stay behind me, Claire.”
He pressed the intercom on the wall. “Report.”
“Boss, it’s Daniel,” the speaker crackled. “We found Elena Vance. But we weren't the only ones looking for her. The Bellinis ambushed her apartment. She’s wounded, but we got her out. We’re bringing her through the basement entrance now.”
Luca turned to me. “Claire, stay with Lily.”
May you like
“I can help,” I blurted out. “Before I worked in service, I was a certified nursing assistant for three years. If she's bleeding, you need medical supplies, not just bodyguards.”
Luca stared at me for a long second, assessing the resolve in my eyes. He gave a single, firm nod. “Downstairs. Now.”
