Chapter 10 - THE FALL
Dante refused to hand over the ledger.
Sophia hated him for five minutes.
Then she understood why.
“If Vanessa gets it,” Enzo explained, “she can destroy evidence, blackmail officials, and expose anyone who refuses to cooperate.”
Sophia paced the library.
“So what do we do?”
“We give her a fake,” Dante said.
“And if she knows?”
“She won’t.”
“You sound very confident.”
“I’m lying.”
Sophia stopped.
Dante looked at her.
“But we don’t have another option.”
The plan was simple.
Which meant Sophia hated it immediately.
A fake ledger would be placed in Dante’s office.
Anthony would tell Vanessa Sophia had agreed.
Security would follow Sophia to the exchange.
Police couldn’t be trusted because the real ledger implicated several officers.
Sophia would wear a wire.
“No,” Dante said.
Sophia stared at him.
“You just explained the plan.”
“You’re not doing it.”
“Then who is?”
“Enzo.”
“Vanessa asked for me.”
“We change the plan.”
Sophia stepped closer.
“You cannot lock me in a bedroom every time something scares you.”
His voice dropped.
“This scares me.”
That stopped her.
Dante almost never admitted fear.
Sophia said quietly, “It scares me too.”
He looked at her.
“But I’m still going.”
Before Dante could respond, Elena screamed upstairs.
They ran.
Elena was on the floor beside her bed.
Sophia dropped beside her.
“Elena!”
Her breathing was shallow.
A teacup lay broken on the carpet.
Dante knelt.
“Mama. Look at me.”
Elena’s eyes fluttered.
Then closed.
The ambulance arrived in six minutes.
It felt like six years.
At the hospital, doctors said Elena had been sedated.
Again.
A stronger drug this time.
Someone had gotten to her despite the safe house.
Dante turned on everyone.
Guards were removed.
Drivers questioned.
Phones seized.
Then two detectives walked toward Sophia.
“Sophia Rossi?”
“Yes?”
“We need you to come with us.”
Dante stepped between them.
“For what?”
One detective held up an evidence bag.
Inside was a bottle.
Sophia recognized it.
Her purse had been searched when they arrived.
“That was in Ms. Rossi’s bag.”
Sophia stared.
“I’ve never seen that.”
The detective continued.
“It contains the same sedative found in Elena Moretti’s blood.”
Dante looked at Sophia.
For one second—
One terrible second—
he said nothing.
Sophia saw doubt.
Maybe only shock.
Maybe fear.
It didn’t matter.
It broke something.
“You think I did this?”
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“Sophia—”
“You hesitated.”
The detective touched her arm.
“You need to come with us.”
Dante grabbed his wrist.
“Take your hand off her.”
“Dante,” Enzo warned.
Sophia stepped back.
“No.”
She looked at Dante.
“Don’t fix this.”
His face hardened.
“What?”
“You fix everything with money, fear, or force.”
“Sophia.”
“I want the truth to fix this.”
She turned to the detectives.
“I’ll go.”
At the precinct, Sophia sat in a cold interview room for four hours.
Then the door opened.
A detective said, “You’re free to leave.”
“Why?”
“Video evidence cleared you.”
Sophia stood.
“Is Dante outside?”
The detective’s face changed.
“No.”
“Then who is?”
A woman stepped into the doorway.
Red dress.
Perfect hair.
May you like
Vanessa smiled.
“Me.”
