THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME SERVE HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER WITHOUT SAYING A WORD—THEN HIS FIANCÉE SAID, “SHE LOST HER VOICE IN THE MUSIC ROOM,” BEFORE HE EVEN ASKED WHY I COULDN’T SPEAK.

I pulled the handle. It wouldn’t budge.

Vanessa tapped the glass with her manicured fingernail.

“I knew you had it,” she said, her voice muffled but perfectly clear.

I backed away, clutching the ledger to my chest.

She held up her cell phone. The screen showed a live video feed.

My heart stopped.

It was a video of my living room.

My mother was sitting on the couch, reading a book. And playing on the rug beside her was my son, Leo.

“Your babysitter was very easy to pay off,” Vanessa said smoothly. “My driver is parked right outside your building. Toss the book through the laundry chute, Emily. Or my driver goes inside.”

My legs gave out. I sank to my knees.

She was going to hurt my little boy.

I looked at the laundry chute on the wall. If I gave her the ledger, she would destroy the evidence. She would still fire me. She would still ruin Luca.

But I was a mother. My son was everything.

I stood up on shaking legs, holding the ledger toward the chute.

Suddenly, the coatroom door violently burst open.

The wood splintered as Luca kicked it off its hinges.

Vanessa screamed and dropped her phone.

Luca didn’t even look at her. He stepped over the broken door, took off his suit jacket, and wrapped it around my trembling shoulders.

“Daniel is at your apartment,” Luca said, his voice a low, comforting rumble. “Your son is safe, Emily. Nobody is touching your family.”

I broke down into violent sobs.

Luca turned to Vanessa. The look in his eyes was lethal.

“You’re done, Vanessa. The engagement is over.”

She scrambled back against the wall, her face pale. “Luca, listen to me—she’s a thief! She has your mother’s book! She stole my ring!”

Luca slowly pulled the diamond ring from his own pocket.

“You mean this ring?” he asked softly.

Vanessa froze.

“I know about the piano,” Luca said, checking his vintage gold watch. “I know about the necklace. And in exactly two minutes, the Chicago police will be here to escort you off my property.”

Vanessa’s panic suddenly vanished.

She let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

“You think you’ve won?” she sneered. “You think that ledger saves you? Ask her to read the second page, Luca. Ask the little maid what her mother did to yours.”

Luca turned to me, confusion crossing his face.