Chapter 2 - The Shadow of the Romano EmpireMy mind raced through five years of memories—every conversation with Victor Romano, every cold, arrogant demand from Vanessa, every time Claire had lowered her eyes when my fiancée walked into the room.
Vanessa hadn't called my home "too depressing" after Claire's funeral because she was sad. She was waiting for Victor's men to sweep the house and ensure Claire hadn't left behind any physical evidence.
"Where is the secondary hard drive, Maya?" I asked, my voice dropping into a register so dark and cold that even Maya took a half-step back.
Maya pulled a sleek, encrypted titanium drive from Box 204, laying it on top of the DNA report.
"This contains the complete forensic audit logs Thomas Bennett gathered before he died," Maya revealed. "It links Victor Romano, three state senators, and your chief of security, Vincent, to the offshore cartel accounts."
"Vincent?" My breath hitched in my chest.
Vincent had been my head of security for twelve years. He had guarded my father. He had guarded my home.
"Vincent was paid eight hundred thousand dollars three years ago to ensure Claire stayed inside your house where Victor could monitor her," Maya said softly. "Claire knew that if she told you the truth while Vincent was controlling your perimeter, you would both be killed before you reached a judge."
I looked down at the brass key resting on the desk, then looked over at Lily.
She held her stuffed rabbit, swinging her small legs happily over the edge of the sofa, looking at the city skyline outside the window.
I walked across the room, dropping down onto one knee in front of her on the plush rug.
"Lily," I whispered, my baritone thick with raw, unreserved emotion.
She looked at me, her hazel eyes bright and clear. "Did Mommy's letter tell you what to do?"
I reached out my broad, calloused hand, gently tucking a stray lock of dark hair behind her small ear, feeling the warm, miraculous pulse of my own blood running through her veins.
"It did, Lily," I promised, my voice breaking softly. "Your mommy told me that I'm your dad. And I am never, ever going to let anyone hurt you again."
Lily looked at my face, her tiny fingers reaching out to touch my cheek, a soft, radiant smile illuminating her face.
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"Mommy said you were brave," Lily whispered softly. "She said you were the biggest boss in New York."
I pulled my four-year-old daughter into my arms, holding her tight against my chest under the sunlit windows of the law office, feeling the thirty-year ice around my heart melt forever.
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