Chapter 3 - The Man Who Owned the Floor
Roman entered Laura like a king returning to a palace no one realized belonged to him.
No shouting.
No threats.
That made it worse.
Kesler followed him.
“Mr. Moretti, please—”
Roman stopped.
“Pick something up.”
Kesler frowned.
“What?”
Roman pointed toward the floor near the service corridor.
“The envelope.”
Naen recognized it immediately.
Her final paycheck.
She had dropped it after entering.
Kesler bent down.
Roman watched.
“Yesterday she had to pick that up after you dropped it at her feet.”
Kesler's face reddened.
“It was an accident.”
Naen almost spoke.
Roman looked at her.
She said nothing.
He knew.
“Give it to her.”
Kesler did.
Roman then addressed the staff.
“Did anyone here know why she was late?”
Silence.
A young server raised her hand.
“She told us.”
“And?”
“She helped somebody who was hurt.”
Roman nodded.
“That somebody was me.”
Whispers spread.
Kesler looked sick.
Roman turned toward him.
“Office.”
Inside, Naen remained near the door.
She didn't want revenge.
Strangely, she almost felt sorry for Kesler.
Almost.
Roman lowered himself carefully into a chair.
“Naen.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want your job back?”
Kesler immediately interrupted.
“Absolutely. Of course. We can restore—”
“I wasn't asking you.”
Silence.
Roman watched Naen.
She thought about Leo.
Rent.
Medicine.
Then she thought about the envelope on the floor.
“No.”
Kesler blinked.
Roman's expression changed subtly.
“Why?”
“Because I don't want to spend every shift wondering whether my son's fever or a missed bus will make someone decide I'm worthless.”
Roman nodded.
“Fair.”
Kesler leaned forward.
“Mr. Moretti—”
“You're terminated.”
The words landed quietly.
Kesler stared.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I have managed this restaurant for seven years.”
“And apparently learned nothing about leadership.”
Kesler's face hardened.
“You can't simply—”
Roman smiled without warmth.
“I can.”
Kesler left twenty minutes later.
Naen expected satisfaction.
Instead she felt exhausted.
Outside, Roman found her beneath the awning.
“What now?” he asked.
“I find another job.”
“I can offer you one.”
“No.”
“You don't know what it is.”
“Doesn't matter.”
That surprised him.
“Why?”
Naen looked directly into his gray eyes.
“Because I don't want to owe you.”
Roman leaned against his cane.
“You misunderstand.”
“I saved you. You got me justice. We're even.”
“No.”
“Roman—”
“You lost your income because you chose my life over your own security.”
“I'd do it again.”
The answer came instantly.
Something changed in Roman's face.
Not softness exactly.
Respect.
“That's precisely the problem.”
Naen folded her arms.
“What does that mean?”
“People like you are rare.”
“And people like you?”
Roman looked toward the black SUV.
“People like me are not.”
Naen's phone rang.
Her neighbor.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Her face changed.
“What?”
Roman straightened.
Naen listened.
Then ran.
Roman caught her arm.
“What happened?”
“My apartment.”
Her voice broke.
“Someone broke in.”
Twenty minutes later, Naen stood inside her destroyed home.
Drawers emptied.
Mattress slashed.
Cupboards opened.
Leo's toys scattered across the floor.
Nothing valuable existed to steal.
That was the frightening part.
Roman entered behind her.
Vincent crouched near the kitchen table.
A knife had been driven into the wood.
Beneath it sat a photograph.
Naen picking up Leo outside daycare.
Her knees weakened.
Roman caught her.
On the back of the photograph were four words.
YOU SHOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY.
Roman's face became absolutely still.
“Vincent.”
“Yes.”
“Take Leo somewhere secure.”
Naen pulled away.
“No.”
Roman looked at her.
“Nobody takes my son.”
“Then you go with him.”
“I don't understand any of this.”
Roman looked at the photograph.
“The men who attacked me know you kept me alive.”
“Why would they care?”
“Because they wanted me dead.”
Naen stared at him.
“What have you dragged me into?”
The accusation hit harder than Roman expected.
He looked away.
“This wasn't supposed to touch you.”
“But it did.”
“Yes.”
Naen picked up Leo's stuffed dinosaur from the floor.
Its fabric had been cut open.
Something inside her hardened.
“You're going to tell me everything.”
Roman looked at her.
“No more mysterious answers,” she said. “No more ‘my people.’ No more pretending I'm too stupid to understand.”
Roman nodded.
“Okay.”
“Who are you?”
He paused.
Then gave her the answer that would change the shape of her world.
“My family built an empire on things respectable people prefer not to know about.”
Naen's face went pale.
Roman continued.
“I inherited it.”
“The mafia.”
He did not deny it.
Naen took a step backward.
“And somebody wants you dead.”
“Yes.”
“Now they might want me dead.”
“Yes.”
Leo appeared in the hallway holding his blanket.
“Mommy?”
Naen immediately turned.
She knelt and pulled him into her arms.
Roman watched.
Leo peeked over her shoulder.
“Who's that?”
Naen didn't know how to answer.
Roman crouched despite the pain.
“My name is Roman.”
Leo studied his cane.
“Did you hurt your leg?”
“Yes.”
“My mommy helps people when they're hurt.”
Roman's gaze moved to Naen.
“I know.”
That night, Naen and Leo left their apartment under armed protection.
Naen hated every second.
But the photograph had changed the rules.
As their car pulled away, a second vehicle watched from across the street.
Inside sat a man Roman had trusted for twelve years.
He lifted his phone.
“They're moving the woman.”
A voice answered.
“Good.”
“Where?”
The man watched Roman's convoy disappear.
“Find out.”
The call ended.
May you like
And the betrayal had officially begun.
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