Chapter 5 - The Dead Man’s AccountThe bank manager was terrified before Dominic even entered the office.
Evelyn had lived at the estate for three years.
She had never known the tunnel existed.
That fact seemed to summarize her marriage perfectly.
By noon, the attack was over.
Two gunmen were dead.
Three escaped.
One had been captured.
None reached Evelyn.
Dominic survived with a graze across his shoulder that he dismissed until Evelyn personally forced the doctor to stitch it.
They relocated to a Manhattan safe property registered under one of Dominic’s holding companies.
There, Dominic’s mother arrived.
Isabella Vale entered wearing charcoal wool and pearls.
She was sixty-two and beautiful in the intimidating way that made younger women unconsciously straighten their posture.
She kissed Dominic’s cheek.
Then Evelyn’s.
Her gaze immediately dropped toward Evelyn’s stomach.
“So it’s true.”
Evelyn stiffened.
“How do you know?”
Isabella looked at Dominic.
He said nothing.
“Apparently,” Evelyn continued, “everyone in the city knew before my husband.”
Isabella removed her gloves.
“I heard rumors.”
“From whom?”
“Evelyn—”
“No.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“Mother. Answer her.”
Something changed in Isabella’s expression.
“Adrian called me last night.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“And?”
“He said congratulations.”
Evelyn went cold.
“How did he know?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Did you give anyone the security code to Westchester?” Dominic asked.
Isabella looked offended.
“Of course not.”
“Who knew it?”
“Your security staff.”
“It was changed yesterday.”
Silence.
Dominic watched his mother carefully.
“You had the new code.”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Adrian?”
Isabella’s face hardened.
“He is your uncle.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“He said he needed access in case something happened.”
Evelyn stared.
“You gave it to him.”
Isabella turned toward her.
“Adrian has protected this family since before you were born.”
“He just helped armed men enter my home.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know you gave him the code.”
Isabella lifted her chin.
“You don’t understand how this family survives.”
Evelyn almost laughed.
“No, apparently I’m the only person here who understands exactly how people survive. They stop trusting the person who keeps lying to them.”
Isabella’s eyes sharpened.
Dominic stepped between them.
“Enough.”
His mother stared at him.
“You believe her over me?”
“I believe the security footage.”
He placed a tablet on the table.
The captured gunman had already talked.
Adrian’s name wasn’t mentioned.
But Vincent Moretti’s was.
Isabella’s face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
Dominic noticed.
“You know something.”
“No.”
“Mother.”
She looked away.
Dominic slammed his hand against the table.
Evelyn jumped.
“Tell me.”
Isabella closed her eyes.
“Your father once wanted Vincent dead.”
“Why?”
“Because Vincent discovered Camille.”
Dominic looked toward Marco.
Isabella continued.
“Antonio paid him to remain silent. Years later, Vincent wanted more.”
“How much?”
“Ten million.”
“And Father refused.”
“Yes.”
“What does that have to do with Adrian?”
“Adrian negotiated the payment.”
Dominic became still.
“When?”
“Six months before your father died.”
The room went silent.
Antonio Vale’s official cause of death had been a heart attack.
Evelyn suddenly knew where the conversation was going.
Dominic whispered, “Did Father die naturally?”
Isabella’s eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t know.”
It was the first time Evelyn had ever seen her cry.
Dominic stepped backward.
“You suspected?”
“I knew Antonio was frightened.”
“Of Adrian?”
“He never said.”
“But you suspected.”
Isabella looked at her son.
“I suspected everyone.”
Dominic laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“And you never told me.”
“You were twenty-nine. Your father had just died. Half the organization wanted to test you. What was I supposed to do?”
“Tell me the truth.”
“The truth gets people killed in this family.”
Evelyn instinctively touched her stomach.
Isabella noticed.
Her expression softened.
“That is why you must leave.”
Evelyn stared.
“Leave?”
“Dominic. The country. Everything.”
Dominic answered immediately.
“No.”
Isabella ignored him.
“You still have time. Take the baby somewhere nobody associates with the Vale name.”
Evelyn looked at Dominic.
He was furious.
But beneath that fury, she saw something else.
Agreement.
“Is that what you want?” she asked him.
“No.”
“Then say it.”
Dominic said nothing.
Her heart sank.
“You’ve already considered sending me away.”
“For your safety.”
“Without asking me.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head.
“This marriage cannot survive if every time you’re afraid, you decide my life for me.”
Dominic stepped toward her.
“Your life matters more than our marriage.”
“That sounds noble until you realize you’re using it to avoid trusting me.”
His face tightened.
Evelyn turned to Isabella.
“You said Antonio was frightened before he died. Why?”
Isabella hesitated.
Then she reached inside her handbag and removed a key.
Small.
Silver.
Old.
“Because three days before his death, he gave me this.”
Dominic stared.
“What does it open?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve had it eight years?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because your father said if anyone came looking for it, I was supposed to destroy it.”
Evelyn looked at the stamped number.
Camille, who had been silent in the corner, suddenly stood.
“My mother’s deposit box.”
Everyone turned.
Camille pulled a brass key from her necklace.
It was almost identical.
The numbers were different.
417-A.
Isabella’s face drained of color.
Camille whispered, “My mother told me there were two boxes.”
Dominic looked from one key to the other.
“Where?”
“Federal Trust Bank,” Camille said. “Midtown.”
Marco immediately checked his phone.
His expression turned grim.
“Federal Trust Bank closed the 417 vault account yesterday.”
“Who accessed it?” Dominic asked.
Marco looked up.
May you like
“Someone using Antonio Vale’s original authorization.”
Dominic’s father had been dead eight years.
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