Chapter 3 - BEHIND AVA’S WALL

The hidden compartment was behind a wooden panel shaped like a moon.

Paolo had installed it himself when Ava was a baby.

He had forgotten it existed.

Ava had not.

“My secret place,” she said proudly.

Paolo opened the panel.

Inside was a black flash drive.

A silver key.

And a handwritten note.

If Paolo is alive, give this only to him.

Luca.

Paolo read it twice.

Then he plugged the drive into a secure laptop.

A video file appeared.

Date stamped six months earlier.

Luca’s face filled the screen.

He looked terrified.

“Paolo, if you’re watching this, I either failed or somebody finally got to me.”

Elise covered her mouth.

Paolo said nothing.

Luca continued.

“The attack in Sicily came from inside.”

Talia whispered, “Oh my God.”

Luca leaned closer to the camera.

“Someone gave your route to the Moretti crew. They knew the car, the road, the time. Nobody outside the inner circle had all three.”

Paolo’s eyes went to Carmela.

She stared at the screen.

Luca continued.

“I started tracing calls and money. I found something I didn’t want to believe.”

The video suddenly cut to security footage.

A hotel lobby.

A man Paolo recognized immediately.

Victor Hale.

Family attorney.

Beside him stood—

Talia.

Paolo slowly turned his head.

Talia shook hers.

“No.”

On the recording, Victor handed her an envelope.

Luca’s voice continued.

“That meeting happened two days before Paolo was ambushed.”

Paolo stood.

Talia backed away.

“It isn’t what it looks like.”

“Then tell me what it is.”

“I met Victor all the time.”

“At a hotel?”

“For business!”

“Which business?”

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

The video resumed.

Luca appeared again.

“I don’t know whether Talia ordered the hit. But she was moving money through accounts connected to Victor.”

Carmela stood.

“That’s enough.”

Paolo turned.

“You’re in no position to decide when it’s enough.”

Luca’s next words froze all of them.

“And Carmela knew.”

Elise gasped.

Carmela’s eyes hardened.

“The old woman believes Paolo’s marriage weakened the family. She especially hates that Elise has influence over him. I heard Carmela tell Victor that if Paolo was gone, the family could be corrected.”

Paolo didn’t blink.

Onscreen, Luca looked exhausted.

“I confronted Victor. He denied everything. Two hours later, somebody followed me.”

The image shook.

“If something happens to me, the silver key opens locker 317 at Union Station.”

Paolo held up the key.

Luca’s final words came quietly.

“Trust nobody who tells you they did it for the family.”

The screen went black.

Talia burst into tears.

“I didn’t know they were going to shoot you!”

Paolo stared at her.

The room seemed to lose oxygen.

“What did you know?”

She covered her mouth.

Carmela said sharply, “Talia, stop.”

Paolo looked at his mother.

“Let her talk.”

Talia shook her head.

“I thought they were going to scare you.”

“Who?”

“Victor.”

“And?”

She looked at Carmela.

Paolo’s voice hardened.

“And who?”

Talia whispered, “Mom.”

Elise stepped backward.

Carmela stood so quickly the chair fell behind her.

“She is confused.”

“No,” Talia cried. “I’m done protecting you!”

Carmela slapped her.

Hard.

Paolo caught his mother’s wrist before she could do it again.

“Enough.”

Carmela looked at her son.

For the first time, rage replaced fear.

“You think you’re innocent?”

Paolo released her.

“What does that mean?”

She smiled.

“You want to know why your wife believed you were dead?”

She looked at Elise.

“Ask Paolo where he was the night before Sicily.”

Elise’s eyes moved toward him.

Paolo went still.

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