Chapter 3 - The Wolf at the Door
The revelation hit me like a physical blow, leaving my lungs completely starved for oxygen. I grabbed the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning bone white. ""His mistress... Victoria. The woman in his phone contacts.""
""Victoria Vance,"" Marco confirmed without hesitation. ""A compliance officer at the federal district attorney’s office. She feeds him audit alerts; he feeds her luxury real estate and European vacations. They planned to initiate the audit this Friday. By Monday, an arrest warrant would have had your name printed on the front page of every paper in the city. Graham would already be out of extradition reach.""
Before I could process the monstrous scale of Graham's deceit, a heavy buzzer sounded twice against the wall behind Marco. The woman in the black suit immediately touched her earpiece, her posture tightening instantly.
""Boss,"" she said, her tone level but urgent. ""Graham Ashworth’s Mercedes just pulled into the loading alley behind the kitchen. He has two private security contractors with him. They’re carrying concealed hardware.""
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. ""He tracked my phone? But I left it at the hotel!""
""He didn't track your phone,"" Marco replied, standing up with deliberate, terrifying grace. ""He tracked the credit card you used at the pharmacy when you bought the pregnancy test yesterday morning. He finally checked the apartment late last night, found the candles still burning, and went through the trash cans when he realized your luggage was gone. He isn't stupid, Nina. He knows what a positive test means. In New York, an expectant mother changes the entire landscape of financial liability and asset freezing during a criminal investigation.""
""He knows about the baby?"" The question came out as a strangled cry. The thought of Graham laying his manipulative, thieving hands on my child turned my blood to ice.
""He suspects,"" Marco said. He walked around the desk, stopping just inches before my chair. He extended a broad, calloused hand toward me. His skin was warm, his grip steady and unyielding. ""You have two choices right now, Nina. You can let Graham walk in here, let him intimidate you into signing the final trust releases, and hope you survive the week. Or you can let me take the leash off.""
""What does that mean?"" I whispered, looking up into his scarred, handsome face.
""It means from this second onward, you belong to the Bellini syndicate,"" Marco said, his voice dropping into a dark, protective timber that resonated deep within my bones. ""No court can touch you. No federal auditor can subpoena you. And Graham Ashworth will learn that when you threaten an innocent woman carrying new life, you don't get a golden parachute. You get an unmarked grave.""
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I didn't hesitate. I placed my small, trembling palm into his broad hand and tightened my fingers. ""Don't let him touch me,"" I said.
Marco pulled me gently to my feet and turned toward his security chief. ""Bring Mr. Ashworth down to the private cellar. Let him think he has the upper hand until the door locks behind him.""
