Chapter 2 - Eight Minutes in the Dark
The darkness lasted eight minutes.
Julian remembered every second.
The instant the lights died, Elena screamed.
Not loudly.
Not like someone startled by a power outage.
Like someone who had been expecting the darkness.
Julian tightened his hold around her.
“Security!”
Somewhere near the entrance, guests began shouting.
Emergency lights should have activated immediately.
They did not.
The Grand Alcazar was one of the most sophisticated hotels in the city.
It had triple-redundant electrical systems.
Julian knew because his company had financed part of the renovation.
A blackout was possible.
Total darkness was not.
“Stay with me.”
Elena’s fingers dug into his chest.
“They’re coming.”
“Who?”
“Take me outside.”
Julian began moving toward the entrance.
He knew the lobby layout from memory.
Twenty steps to the central fountain.
Another thirty to the revolving doors.
Before he made ten, someone struck him from behind.
Pain exploded across his shoulder.
Julian staggered.
Elena slipped in his arms.
He caught her.
A second figure grabbed her wrist.
“No!”
Elena screamed.
Julian swung blindly.
His fist connected with a face.
A man cursed.
Julian heard running footsteps.
Then something metallic scraped across the marble.
He pushed Elena behind him.
“Stay down.”
Another blow came.
Julian ducked.
He caught an arm.
Twisted.
A man cried out.
Julian drove his elbow into the attacker’s ribs.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
Red.
Dim.
Enough.
A man in a hotel maintenance uniform was running toward a service corridor.
Another lay beside the fountain holding his nose.
Julian memorized both faces.
Henry Vale was gone.
Camila was standing near the concierge desk.
Her expression was impossible to read.
“Elena?”
Julian turned.
She was still there.
Sitting against the side of the cleaning cart.
One hand pressed to her stomach.
He dropped beside her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you bleeding?”
“No.”
“Can you stand?”
She nodded.
Julian did not believe her.
Security guards finally appeared.
Julian exploded.
“Seal every exit.”
The head of security hesitated.
“Sir?”
“Do it.”
“Mr. Rossi, we can’t—”
Julian stood.
“Rossi International owns thirty-two percent of this property.”
That changed everything.
“Seal it.”
The guard reached for his radio.
Julian turned back.
Elena was gone.
His stomach dropped.
He searched the lobby.
The cart remained.
The towels remained.
The detergent bottles remained.
Elena did not.
“Where is she?”
Nobody answered.
Julian grabbed a security guard.
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.”
Camila approached.
“She probably ran.”
Julian released the guard.
“Why would she run?”
Camila stared at him.
“Because she left you once already.”
He looked at her.
A strange feeling moved through him.
Not suspicion yet.
Something smaller.
A crack.
Eight months earlier, Camila had been nowhere in his life.
They met long after Elena disappeared.
There was no logical connection.
Still, Julian suddenly realized something.
Camila had not screamed during the blackout.
She had not called his name.
She had not asked whether Elena was safe.
She had simply stood near the desk.
Watching.
“Where were you when the lights went out?”
Camila blinked.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I stayed where I was.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not insane.”
Julian stared at her.
Then Henry Vale returned.
“Mr. Rossi.”
Julian turned.
Henry’s tie was crooked.
Sweat covered his forehead.
“Where were you?”
“Checking the generator.”
“In eight minutes?”
Henry hesitated.
“Yes.”
Julian smiled.
There was no humor in it.
“You’re lying.”
Henry’s face stiffened.
“Excuse me?”
Julian walked closer.
“The generator room is on basement level three.”
Henry said nothing.
“It takes four minutes just to reach it from this lobby.”
Silence.
“You left thirty seconds before the blackout.”
Henry swallowed.
Julian moved closer.
“And you returned thirty seconds after power came back.”
Henry looked toward security.
“Mr. Rossi, you’ve had an emotional shock.”
Julian almost admired the nerve.
Then a young housekeeper approached.
She could not have been older than twenty-two.
She looked terrified.
“Mr. Rossi?”
Julian turned.
The woman glanced at Henry.
Henry’s face changed.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Julian saw it.
“What is your name?”
“Rosa.”
“What do you know?”
Rosa’s eyes filled.
Henry stepped forward.
“She doesn’t know anything.”
Julian raised one finger.
“Speak again and I will have you removed from this building.”
Henry stopped.
Rosa whispered.
“Elena told me if anything happened tonight…”
Her voice shook.
“She told me to give you this.”
Rosa reached inside her apron.
She pulled out a small silver key.
Julian took it.
Attached to the key was a plastic tag.
B-417.
“What does it open?”
Rosa glanced toward the elevators.
“Employee storage.”
“Basement?”
She nodded.
Henry immediately spoke.
“There is nothing there.”
Julian turned.
That was all the confirmation he needed.
“Security.”
Two guards stepped forward.
“Keep Mr. Vale here.”
Henry’s face hardened.
“You have no right.”
Julian leaned close.
“Try me.”
He headed toward the elevators.
Camila followed.
“Julian, this is absurd.”
He pressed the button.
“You should go to the suite.”
“No.”
“I wasn’t asking.”
Camila’s eyes flashed.
“You bring me here for a weekend together and now I’m supposed to disappear because your runaway wife shows up?”
Julian looked at her.
“My wife is pregnant and terrified.”
“She abandoned you.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
The elevator doors opened.
Julian stepped inside.
Camila grabbed his arm.
“You spent months telling me she destroyed you.”
“I know what I said.”
“She chose to leave.”
Julian looked at the small silver key.
“Then why was someone trying to drag her away in the dark?”
Camila had no answer.
The elevator descended.
Basement one.
Basement two.
Basement three.
The doors opened.
Julian stepped into a narrow corridor lined with concrete walls.
Room B-417 was at the end.
He inserted the key.
The lock opened.
Inside was a small storage cage.
Cleaning supplies.
Old uniforms.
Two plastic boxes.
Nothing unusual.
Then Julian saw the envelope.
His name was written across it.
JULIAN.
His wife’s handwriting.
He tore it open.
Inside was a photograph.
Julian stared at it.
The picture had been taken outside his Milan villa eight months earlier.
Elena was standing near the gate.
Behind her was a black sedan.
A man was speaking to her.
Julian knew the man.
Everyone in his family knew the man.
His older brother.
Marco Rossi.
Julian flipped the photograph over.
May you like
Four words were written on the back.
He made me disappear.
