Chapter 5 - The Woman Vincent Trusted Most
Marcus felt his heart stop.
“Who is outside that room?”
Lena smiled.
“Put down the case.”
“Who?”
“Marcus.”
He lowered it.
Camille struggled against the ties around her wrists.
“My daughter!”
Lena looked at her.
“She's fine.”
“If you touch her—”
“I don't hurt children.”
Camille's eyes burned.
“You used mine to threaten people.”
“That isn't the same thing.”
“To a mother, it is.”
For the first time, Lena's calm expression flickered.
Marcus noticed.
“Why Vincent?”
Lena looked toward him.
“You still think this is about Vincent?”
“Twenty-eight million dollars says it might be.”
Daniel laughed.
“Twenty-eight million is what Vincent noticed.”
“How much?”
“Forty-three.”
Marcus stared.
Lena stepped closer.
“For years, the Castellano companies moved money through shell corporations, contractors, offshore accounts. Some legal. Some less clean.”
“You were stealing it.”
“Recovering it.”
“That's an interesting word.”
“My father spent thirty years working for Raymond Castellano.”
Marcus frowned.
“Your father?”
“Eduardo Morales.”
The name meant nothing to him.
But Camille reacted.
“My mother knew that name.”
Lena looked at her.
Camille continued.
“She worked in the accounting office years ago.”
Lena's expression changed again.
“Then perhaps she knew what Raymond did.”
Marcus said, “Tell me.”
Lena stared into the distance.
“My father discovered Raymond was stealing from Vincent's father. He tried to report it. Two weeks later, he disappeared.”
“You think Raymond killed him.”
“I know he did.”
“Proof?”
“That was what the envelope contained.”
Marcus understood.
The financial documents.
The audit.
The mysterious messages to Sofia.
“You wanted Vincent to find Raymond's theft.”
“Yes.”
“Then why attack him?”
“I didn't.”
Marcus went still.
Daniel's expression changed.
Lena turned toward him.
“That wasn't the plan.”
Daniel said nothing.
“The plan was to place the evidence on Vincent's desk and force an audit.”
Marcus looked between them.
“Daniel attacked Vincent?”
Lena's voice sharpened.
“He panicked.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Vincent recognized me.”
“You said he wouldn't.”
“He saw my face.”
“So you nearly killed him?”
“I did what I had to do.”
Lena stared at him with disgust.
Marcus saw the fracture.
This conspiracy wasn't as united as it appeared.
He pushed.
“And Camille?”
Lena answered.
“She saw Daniel leaving.”
“So you kidnapped her.”
“I kept her alive.”
Camille laughed bitterly.
“You drugged me and tied me to a chair.”
“I prevented Daniel from solving the problem his way.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
Marcus looked at him.
“You wanted Camille dead.”
Silence.
That was answer enough.
“And Adeline?”
Daniel looked away.
Lena said, “Nobody touches the child.”
“Then call whoever is outside her room.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because that's my insurance.”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Against whom?”
Lena didn't answer.
“Daniel?”
Still nothing.
Then Marcus understood.
Lena wasn't controlling the operation anymore.
She was afraid of Daniel too.
A noise sounded outside.
Daniel turned.
That was all Anthony needed.
He came through the side door with two security officers.
“Down!”
Chaos erupted.
Peter ran.
One officer intercepted him.
Daniel shoved Lena aside and disappeared through a rear doorway.
Marcus went directly to Camille.
“Your daughter is safe.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Vincent is with her.”
At the hospital, Vincent Castellano had removed his IV against medical advice.
The nurse had nearly had a heart attack.
Vincent didn't care.
He had seen the man outside Adeline's room.
The man wore hospital scrubs.
But he walked like security.
Too controlled.
Too aware of cameras.
Vincent stepped into the corridor.
The stranger looked at him.
“Mr. Castellano, you should be in bed.”
“Probably.”
The man's hand moved toward his pocket.
Vincent said, “Don't.”
Two police officers appeared from the nurses' station.
The stranger froze.
Vincent had called them before leaving his room.
The man was arrested without incident.
Inside Adeline's room, Clara woke.
“Mr. Castellano?”
“Everything's fine.”
“You look terrible.”
“Thank you.”
Adeline stirred.
Her eyes opened.
“Uncle Vin.”
“Hey, Addie.”
“You fixed?”
“Mostly.”
She frowned at his hospital gown.
“You need pants.”
Clara covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Vincent nodded solemnly.
“That's fair.”
His phone rang.
Marcus.
“We have Camille.”
Vincent closed his eyes.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Bring her here.”
“Already moving.”
“What about Daniel?”
“Gone.”
Vincent looked toward Adeline.
“He'll come for the child.”
“I know.”
“No. You don't understand.”
“What?”
“Daniel doesn't know what she remembers.”
Marcus became quiet.
Vincent continued.
“He'll assume she saw enough to identify him.”
“She already did.”
“Exactly.”
“So we protect her.”
Vincent looked through the hospital window.
“Not just tonight.”
Two hours later, Camille ran into the private hospital suite.
Adeline saw her.
“Mama!”
Camille dropped to her knees.
Adeline collided with her chest.
Camille held her so tightly the toddler protested.
“Squish!”
Camille laughed and cried simultaneously.
“Sorry. Mama's sorry.”
“You went with Aunt Fia.”
“Yes.”
“You gone long.”
“I know.”
Adeline touched her mother's face.
“Mama cry?”
“A little.”
Adeline wiped one tear with her thumb.
“Doctor fix.”
Camille laughed again.
“Maybe.”
Across the room, Vincent watched.
Something in his expression softened.
Camille eventually stood.
She looked at him.
“You shouldn't be out of bed.”
“So I've heard.”
“My daughter saved your life.”
“Yes.”
“And because of you, somebody threatened hers.”
Vincent accepted the accusation.
“Yes.”
Camille stared at him.
“I want out.”
“Camille—”
“I want my daughter away from this house, this family, your enemies, all of it.”
Vincent nodded.
“I'll arrange somewhere safe.”
“I don't want your money.”
“I didn't say money.”
“Everything with you becomes money eventually.”
That hurt more than Vincent expected.
Camille picked Adeline up.
“I'll finish whatever notice period you need once this is over.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“No notice period. You're free to leave whenever you want.”
Camille's expression softened slightly.
“Thank you.”
“But until Daniel is found, you're under protection.”
“I don't want—”
“That part isn't negotiable.”
Her eyes flashed.
Vincent corrected himself.
“I'm asking you to accept it.”
Camille studied him.
“Fine.”
Marcus entered.
His face told Vincent there was more.
“What?”
“We searched Daniel's old property.”
“And?”
“Found a safe.”
“What was inside?”
“Documents. Photographs. Records.”
“Of Raymond?”
“Among others.”
Marcus glanced toward Camille.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“Daniel has been watching the estate for months.”
“How do you know?”
“Photographs.”
Vincent's jaw tightened.
“Of me?”
Marcus shook his head.
“Mostly Adeline.”
Camille went white.
“Why?”
Marcus looked at the toddler.
“We don't know.”
But there was one photograph different from the others.
Marcus hadn't shown it yet.
A picture of Adeline beside the lake.
On the back, Daniel had written four words.
SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO.
Vincent read it.
Then looked at Camille.
“Who is Adeline's father?”
Camille's face changed.
May you like
And for the first time since this nightmare began, Vincent realized Camille Boudreaux had been keeping a secret of her own.
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