Chapter 3 - THE SIGNET RING IN THE BASEMENT
The ring gleamed under the harsh light of the phone screen.
A heavy gold band with the Bellini family crest.
Luca stared at the ring in the guard's palm.
Then he looked at Vanessa's right hand.
Her ring finger was bare.
“Where is your ring, Vanessa?” Luca asked.
His voice was dangerously low.
Vanessa swallowed hard, her chest heaving beneath the red silk.
“I... I must have lost it in the garden yesterday.”
“Really?” Luca reached out and took the gold band from the guard.
“My men found it in the hand of a professional hitman currently tied up in our basement.”
Gasps echoed through the dining room.
The fifty elites of Chicago scrambled toward the double doors.
“Nobody leaves!” Luca roared, his hand resting on his holster.
The doors clicked shut instantly by four armed guards.
Vanessa’s facade completely shattered.
Her carefully painted lips trembled.
“Luca, listen to me. It's a setup. Someone framed me.”
“Framed you with your own family heirloom?” Luca sneered.
He knelt down beside Oliver and me.
“Emily, take Oliver up to the master suite. Lock the door. Do not open it for anyone except me.”
“Yes, Mr. Moretti,” I said, my voice shaking.
“Don't be afraid, Emily,” he added, his eyes softening for a fraction of a second.
“Nobody touches anyone in this house tonight.”
I led Oliver up the grand staircase.
Behind us, Vanessa was screaming as Luca’s men dragged her toward the study.
Oliver buried his face in my apron as we walked down the long corridor.
“Is Daddy going to be okay?” he asked.
“Your father is a very strong man, Oliver,” I murmured, opening the bedroom door.
We sat on the edge of the king-sized bed.
Outside the window, the Chicago rain began to lash against the glass.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Or maybe it was just my imagination playing tricks on my frayed nerves.
Ten minutes passed in agonizing silence.
Then, a heavy thud echoed from the hallway outside.
May you like
Somebody was trying the doorknob.
Cliffhanger: The doorknob slowly turned, and a muffled voice whispered through the crack, calling my name in a tone that belonged to someone who was supposed to be locked in the basement.
