Chapter 4 - The Uncle's Ambush
The massive crystal chandelier in the foyer seemed to sway, casting fractured light across Luca’s panicked face.
Arthur Bellini took her.
"Get the cars," Luca snarled, his voice echoing off the marble floors. "Now!"
Marco didn't hesitate. He spoke rapidly into his radio, sprinting toward the garage.
I stood near the staircase, clutching my apron. Arthur Bellini had just stood in the dining room, pretending to be the righteous uncle, condemning Vanessa. He had handed Luca the notebook. He had played the peacemaker.
And the moment he left the room, he had waited for Luca to banish Rose, so he could take her.
Luca turned to me, his dark eyes burning with a terrifying mix of fury and fear. He wasn't the composed mafia boss anymore; he was a brother who had just realized he had thrown his sister to the wolves.
"Emma, go to the security room," Luca ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Lock the door. Don't let anyone in except Marco or me."
"Sir, what does Arthur want with Rose?" I asked, my voice trembling. "She said she burned the real ledger ten years ago."
"She lied," Luca said, pulling a heavy black pistol from the holster beneath his suit jacket. "Arthur knows she lied. And Vanessa knew it too."
He checked the magazine, slamming it back into the grip with a sharp, metallic clack.
"Vanessa wrote that note to make me furious enough to throw Rose out without my protection," Luca realized, his jaw tight. "She and Arthur were working together the whole time. Arthur played the good guy to gain my trust, while Vanessa played the villain to isolate my sister."
"But why do they need the ledger?" I asked, terrified by the sheer scale of the betrayal.
Luca looked at me, a dark shadow crossing his face. "Because my mother’s ledger doesn't just hold proof of embezzlement, Emma. It holds the location of the syndicate's emergency offshore accounts. Millions of dollars. If Arthur gets that ledger, he doesn't just ruin me. He owns the city."
Before I could say another word, Luca turned and ran out the front doors, disappearing into the night.
I didn't go to the security room.
I knew I was just a maid. I knew I had no place in a mafia war. But my chest ached with the memory of Rose standing in that dining room, clutching an old blue tie, completely broken by the brother she had raised. She had made a terrible mistake when she was fifteen. But she didn't deserve to die for it.
I ran toward the guest wing.
If Vanessa and Arthur were working together, Vanessa would know where Arthur was taking Rose.
The guest wing was quiet, the heavy oak doors guarded by two of Luca’s men. They looked surprised to see me sprinting down the hall in my uniform.
"Emma, you shouldn't be here," one of the guards said, holding up a hand. "Boss said lockdown."
"I need to speak to Vanessa," I demanded, out of breath. "Mr. Moretti sent me to get her coat. He’s kicking her out."
It was a weak lie, but the guards had just watched Luca violently end his engagement in front of forty guests. They exchanged a look, shrugged, and unlocked the heavy door.
I slipped inside and locked the door behind me.
The guest suite was enormous, decorated in pale silks and heavy velvet. Vanessa was sitting on the edge of the four-poster bed, staring blankly at the wall. She looked up when I entered, her eyes narrowing in disgust.
"Did Luca send you to pack my bags?" Vanessa sneered, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Tell him I’m not leaving until I get my settlement."
"Where did Arthur take Rose?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.
Vanessa blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What?"
"I know you and Arthur planned this," I said, stepping closer to the bed. "I know you wrote the note to make Luca kick her out so Arthur could grab her. Where did he take her?"
Vanessa let out a bitter, ugly laugh. "You really think you can interrogate me? You wash my underwear, Emma."
"Luca is hunting him right now," I lied smoothly, my heart hammering against my ribs. "If he finds Arthur, he’ll kill him. And when he finds out you helped orchestrate the kidnapping, he’ll kill you too."
Vanessa’s smirk faltered. She stood up, crossing her arms defensively. "Arthur promised he’d keep my name out of it if I helped him get Rose alone."
"Arthur is a rat," I said, stepping right into her personal space. "He threw you under the bus in the dining room to save himself. Do you really think he’s going to protect you now that he has what he wants?"
Vanessa stared at me, the realization slowly dawning on her face. Arthur had humiliated her publicly. He had ensured Luca would never trust her again, completely removing her as a rival for power.
"That son of a bitch," Vanessa whispered, her hands clenching into fists.
"Where did he take her, Vanessa?" I pressed.
She looked at me, her eyes cold and calculating. "If I tell you, you tell Luca that I cooperated. You tell him I gave you the location willingly."
"I’ll tell him," I promised, silently crossing my fingers behind my apron.
Vanessa swallowed hard. "Arthur doesn't have a safe house in the city anymore. But he still owns the old meatpacking plant on the South Side. The one his father used to run. It’s soundproof. If he wants to interrogate Rose for the location of the ledger, he’ll take her there."
"The meatpacking plant," I repeated, committing it to memory.
I turned to leave, but Vanessa grabbed my arm. Her grip was surprisingly strong.
"Emma," Vanessa said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Arthur isn't going to just ask her nicely. If she doesn't tell him where the ledger is, he’ll cut her to pieces. And if Luca goes in there blindly, Arthur will kill him too."
I pulled my arm away. "Luca is bringing an army."
"Arthur already has one waiting," Vanessa sneered. "He’s been planning a coup for six months. He just needed the ledger to fund it."
I didn't wait to hear more. I unlocked the door, slipped past the guards, and ran down the hallway.
I needed to call Luca. I needed to warn him about the meatpacking plant.
I rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the secure landline on the wall, dialing the direct number to Luca’s encrypted cell phone.
It rang once. Twice. Three times.
"Pick up," I muttered, bouncing on my heels.
Finally, the line clicked open.
"Luca!" I gasped. "It’s Emma! I know where Arthur took Rose! It’s an ambush!"
But Luca didn't answer.
Instead, a heavy, raspy chuckle echoed through the phone.
"Well, hello, Emma," a voice said.
My blood ran cold. It wasn't Luca.
"Who is this?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"This is Arthur Bellini," the voice replied pleasantly. "I must say, I’m impressed. You’re much smarter than my niece. But I’m afraid you’re a little too late to warn Mr. Moretti."
"Where is Luca?" I demanded, terror gripping my throat.
"Oh, Luca is right here," Arthur said smoothly. "He drove right into my checkpoint on the highway. Such a predictable boy when his emotions are involved."
I heard a muffled grunt in the background, followed by a sickening thud. The sound of a heavy blow landing on flesh.
"Don't hurt him!" I screamed into the receiver.
"I won't kill him yet," Arthur promised. "Not until his sister tells me where the ledger is. But since you’re so invested in this little family drama, Emma, I have a proposition for you."
I gripped the phone so hard my knuckles cracked. "What do you want?"
"I found something very interesting on Luca’s phone when we searched him," Arthur said. "A text message he sent to Marco five minutes ago. He told Marco to go back to the mansion and secure the blue tie."
I froze. The tie.
"Why would Luca care about an old piece of garbage when his sister’s life is on the line?" Arthur mused. "Unless, of course, that tie isn't just a sentimental gift. Rose brought that tie to the dinner tonight as a peace offering. Or maybe... she brought it because she was hiding something inside it."
I looked across the kitchen. The blue tie was resting on the counter, exactly where I had placed it when I came in to clean up.
"Bring the tie to the meatpacking plant on the South Side, Emma," Arthur commanded softly. "Come alone. If you bring it, I’ll let Luca and Rose go. If you call Marco, or if you don't show up in thirty minutes..."
May you like
Arthur paused, letting the silence stretch.
"I’ll mail you Luca’s fingers, one by one."
