Chapter 2 - The Wife Who Disappeared
Arthur Bell had worked for Matteo Rossi for fourteen years.
He had buried secrets, prevented betrayals, and watched men disappear from Matteo's life after making considerably smaller mistakes than the one Norah had apparently just made.
Norah expected him to reach for his phone.
Instead, Arthur stared at her.
“How much?”
Norah's heart hammered.
“Twenty percent.”
“From how many accounts?”
“Four.”
Arthur exhaled.
“Jesus.”
“I didn't steal it.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“You may have difficulty convincing Matteo of that.”
“It was marital property.”
“You may have even more difficulty convincing Matteo of that.”
Norah stood.
“If you're calling him, do it.”
Arthur didn't move.
“Why?”
She looked at him.
“You know why.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
Norah hesitated.
Then she pointed toward the upstairs bedrooms.
“Because I'm seven months pregnant, and my husband is currently flying his mistress to our honeymoon destination.”
Arthur's expression tightened.
“He took Harper?”
“Yes.”
Arthur muttered something beneath his breath.
Norah had never heard him criticize Matteo.
That tiny reaction told her something.
“You knew?”
“I knew she existed.”
“And?”
“I told him he was being stupid.”
Norah almost smiled.
“Apparently he survived the criticism.”
Arthur stepped closer to the desk.
“You realize he'll find you.”
“Not if you give me twelve hours.”
Arthur stared at her.
Norah understood what she was asking.
This wasn't merely assistance.
It was betrayal.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you had a daughter.”
Arthur's entire body went still.
Norah immediately regretted saying it.
His daughter, Sophie, had died eight years earlier after a sudden illness.
She had been nineteen.
“I shouldn't have—”
“No,” Arthur said quietly. “You shouldn't.”
Norah lowered her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
Arthur looked toward her stomach.
Something changed.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tonight.”
“Where?”
“I won't tell you.”
“Good.”
Norah stared at him.
Arthur reached across the desk and unplugged Matteo's security hub.
Every camera inside the penthouse went dark.
“You have four hours,” he said.
“Arthur—”
“I never saw you.”
“Matteo will know.”
“Eventually.”
“He'll destroy you.”
Arthur gave a humorless smile.
“Then you'd better make those four hours worth it.”
Norah moved.
By sunset, the suitcase was gone.
So were her passport, medical records, jewelry inherited from her mother, and every photograph she cared about.
She left Matteo's gifts behind.
Diamonds.
Designer clothes.
The Bentley.
Even her wedding ring.
That she placed on the marble island.
Beside it, she left one sentence.
You were right. I wanted for nothing. Now I want nothing from you.
At 9:42 p.m., Norah Rossi disappeared.
Three days later, Matteo stood beside the infinity pool in Santorini staring at his phone.
Norah still hadn't answered.
Harper emerged from the villa.
“Dinner reservation is at eight.”
Matteo ignored her.
His phone rang.
Arthur.
Finally.
Matteo answered.
“Where is she?”
Silence.
Matteo's eyes narrowed.
“Arthur.”
“You need to come home.”
Something in Arthur's voice changed the temperature of the Mediterranean night.
“What happened?”
“She's gone.”
Matteo stopped breathing.
“What do you mean gone?”
“The house is empty.”
“Find her.”
“We're trying.”
“Trying?”
Harper watched from several feet away.
Matteo's voice became dangerously quiet.
“You have forty men in Boston. Find my wife.”
Arthur didn't respond.
Then he said the words that turned Matteo's blood cold.
“She took money.”
Matteo went still.
“How much?”
“Enough.”
He ended the call.
Harper approached.
“Matteo?”
He walked past her.
“Pack.”
“What?”
“We're leaving.”
“But we just got here.”
Matteo turned.
The expression on his face made her stop.
“My wife is missing.”
Harper crossed her arms.
“So? She wants attention.”
Matteo stared at her.
For the first time since arriving, he saw Harper clearly.
Not beautiful.
Not exciting.
Just irrelevant.
Norah was gone.
And suddenly nothing else mattered.
Fourteen hours later, Matteo entered his penthouse.
The silence hit him immediately.
Her shoes were gone from the foyer.
Her coat was missing.
The small ceramic bowl where she kept her keys was empty.
He entered the bedroom.
Half the closet was untouched.
Only practical clothes were missing.
Norah hadn't packed for luxury.
She had packed for escape.
Then Matteo saw the ring.
It sat downstairs on the island.
Beside the note.
He read it twice.
Then a third time.
Arthur stood across the kitchen.
“How long did you know?”
Arthur didn't answer.
Matteo looked up.
“How long?”
“Four hours.”
Matteo's jaw tightened.
“You let her leave.”
“Yes.”
The room became silent.
Arthur waited.
Matteo could have punished him.
Instead, Matteo looked back at the ring.
“Why?”
Arthur answered quietly.
“Because she looked afraid.”
Matteo's eyes snapped toward him.
“Of me?”
Arthur didn't answer.
That silence was worse.
Matteo picked up Norah's wedding ring.
It felt impossibly small in his palm.
“Find her.”
“Matteo—”
“Not to bring her back.”
Arthur studied him.
Matteo swallowed.
“I need to know she's safe.”
That was the first honest sentence he'd spoken about his marriage in months.
For eleven days, they found nothing.
Norah had planned carefully.
She changed transportation repeatedly.
Stopped using personal electronics.
Avoided airports after the first leg.
Paid cash.
Then, on day twelve, one of Matteo's financial analysts found something.
A medical payment.
Not from Norah's account.
From a shell company created two months earlier.
The payment had gone to a private obstetric clinic in Vermont.
Matteo was in the study when Arthur entered.
“We found her.”
Matteo stood immediately.
“Where?”
Arthur placed a document on the desk.
“Maybe.”
Matteo scanned it.
A prenatal appointment.
Different surname.
Nora Bennett.
Bennett.
Her mother's maiden name.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Matteo reached for his jacket.
Arthur didn't move.
“What?”
“There’s something else.”
Matteo looked up.
Arthur placed a second page beside the first.
It was a copy of the clinic's intake record.
Matteo read the information.
Then stopped.
Under emergency contact, Norah had listed someone.
Not Matteo.
A man named Samuel Carter.
Relationship:
May you like
Husband.
---
