Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

The plane landed in Rome at sunrise.

But I didn’t feel relief.

I felt trapped.

A few hours earlier, I was just a scared mother trying to rebuild her life.

Now I was surrounded by armed men.

Security teams.

And a mafia boss who believed someone had placed me in his path.

I wanted to leave.

I needed to leave.

But Adrian stopped me before I reached the airport exit.

“Emily.”

I turned.

“What?”

“You can’t go.”

I almost laughed.

“Excuse me?”

His bodyguards immediately watched me.

I ignored them.

“I don’t work for you.”

“I know.”

“I’m not your employee.”

“I know.”

“I’m not part of whatever dangerous world you live in.”

His expression hardened.

“That’s exactly why you’re in danger.”

I stared at him.

“What does that mean?”

Adrian lowered his voice.

“It means someone thinks you matter.”

I shook my head.

“No. I’m nobody.”

His eyes narrowed.

“That’s what makes this interesting.”

I hated that answer.

Because I knew something was wrong.

People like Adrian Viscari didn’t protect strangers.

Not without a reason.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then:

“My wife died three years ago.”

I froze.

I wasn’t expecting that.

“Leo’s mother?”

He nodded.

“After she died, he stopped letting anyone near him.”

His eyes moved to his son.

“Doctors. Nannies. Nurses.”

A pause.

“Everyone.”

“Then why me?”

Adrian looked at me.

“Because my son trusted you.”

That answer made me uncomfortable.

Because it sounded too emotional for someone like him.

Before I could respond, my phone rang again.

Mark.

Again.

This time, Adrian saw the screen.

“Answer it.”

I looked at him.

“What?”

“Put it on speaker.”

“No.”

“Emily.”

His voice became serious.

“If he’s looking for you, I need to know why.”

I hesitated.

Then answered.

“Hello?”

Silence.

Then Mark’s voice.

“Emily.”

My entire body froze.

“Where are you?”

I said nothing.

“You think you can take my daughter and disappear?”

My hand tightened.

“She’s my daughter too.”

“No.”

The word came out before I could stop it.

“She’s a child. Not something you own.”

The airport suddenly felt quiet.

Mark laughed.

A cold, ugly laugh.

“You really think someone is going to protect you?”

I looked at Adrian.

He was listening.

Every word.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

My stomach dropped.

“What does that mean?”

Mark lowered his voice.

“It means you should have stayed home.”

The call ended.

I stared at the phone.

Adrian’s face had changed.

“What did he mean?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

But deep down…

I did.

Mark wasn’t just angry.

He was confident.

Too confident.

Like he knew something I didn’t.

Then Adrian’s phone rang.

He answered.

A few seconds later, his expression became deadly.

“What?”

Silence.

Then:

“Send me the picture.”

He ended the call.

“What happened?”

He looked at me.

“This just became bigger.”

“Why?”

He showed me the image.

A photo from security footage.

A man standing outside the airport.

Watching us.

I recognized him immediately.

My blood ran cold.

Because I had seen that face before.

Not recently.

Years ago.

At the hospital.

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TO BE CONTINUED…