Chapter 6 - The Empty Leash
Luca read the report twice.
“Cancel it.”
Victor nodded.
“Of course.”
“And get me the contractor.”
“He’s left.”
“Then call him.”
Victor took out his phone and stepped into the hall.
Everything after that happened in small, ordinary pieces.
Luca received a call from his attorney.
Mrs. Alvarez helped me carry breakfast upstairs.
A maintenance worker asked whether the south gate should stay open for a delivery.
Nothing looked like an emergency.
That was how it worked.
By the time I came downstairs an hour later, Bruno was gone.
His leash hung on the hook beside the kitchen door.
His water bowl had been moved into the pantry.
“Where is he?”
The kitchen assistant looked confused.
“The dog trainer came.”
I gripped the counter.
“What trainer?”
“Mr. Hale said it was approved.”
Mrs. Alvarez called Luca.
I called Victor.
Straight to voicemail.
Outside, Daniel was unloading bags of mulch.
“Did you see a van?”
“White one. About twenty minutes ago.”
“Which way did it go?”
He took one look at my face and dropped the bag.
“What happened?”
Luca arrived before I could explain.
For the first time, I heard him raise his voice.
“Who opened the gate?”
A guard answered from the security office.
“Mr. Hale authorized the release.”
“I told him to cancel it.”
The guard went pale.
Luca asked for the vehicle details.
I stood trembling beside the door.
“He thinks I let them take him.”
“Emma—”
“He gets scared in unfamiliar kennels. He stops drinking. He won’t understand.”
Luca looked at me.
“We’ll find him.”
“You promised she couldn’t open my door.”
The words landed.
He didn’t argue.
Daniel came forward with his phone.
“I photograph delivery vehicles when they block the loading area. In case they damage the irrigation line.”
A white van filled the screen.
A company name.
A plate number.
Luca’s security chief, a woman named Tessa Grant, made two calls.
The company confirmed a pickup.
Then her expression changed.
“What do you mean, permanent surrender?”
I stopped breathing.
Tessa covered the phone.
“They have paperwork transferring ownership. They say an authorized estate representative signed it.”
Luca held out his hand.
May you like
“Give me the phone.”
From the speaker, a man said, “You’ll need to speak to the receiving facility. The dog’s already been moved.”
