Chapter 4 - The Groom With the Silver LighterBell & Daughter Bakery smelled exactly as it had every morning of Kora’s childhood.
Bread.
Coffee.
Cinnamon.
Vanilla.
The normality frightened her.
Gino pulled the SUV to the curb.
Kora was out before it stopped.
She ran inside.
“Dad!”
Thomas appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray.
He nearly dropped it.
“Kora?”
She crossed the room and grabbed him.
Thomas stared at her ruined dress.
“What happened?”
“You’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“You didn’t see anyone?”
“Half the neighborhood has been in here.”
Gino entered.
Thomas looked past him.
“Where’s Mateo?”
“Alive,” Gino said.
“For now.”
Kora showed her father the photograph.
His face changed.
“You were being watched,” she said.
Thomas looked toward the front windows.
“Kora—”
“You knew.”
He said nothing.
“Dad.”
Thomas closed the bakery.
Locked the door.
Then led them upstairs.
His apartment had barely changed since Kora was sixteen.
Thomas entered the bedroom and pulled a small steel box from beneath a loose floorboard.
Gino watched.
“You hide things like my family.”
Thomas gave him a humorless look.
“I learned from people like your family.”
He opened the box.
Inside was a photograph.
Kora picked it up.
Her mother, Elena, stood beside Dominico Vale.
The picture was at least twenty-five years old.
Beside them stood another man.
Kora recognized him.
Mateo’s uncle.
Victor Rivas.
Kora stared at her father.
“What is this?”
Thomas sat.
“Your mother didn’t meet Dominico through accounting.”
“Then how?”
“She worked for him.”
Silence.
Gino leaned forward.
“Doing what?”
“Medical logistics.”
Kora remembered Mercer’s missing hospital supplies.
Her throat tightened.
Thomas continued.
“Before you were born, Elena helped organize medical shipments for several private clinics. Some were legitimate.”
“And some weren’t.”
Thomas nodded.
“She discovered Dominico was using hospital contracts to move money.”
Kora looked at the photograph again.
“And Victor?”
“He helped her leave.”
Gino frowned.
“My uncle?”
Thomas nodded.
“Kora’s mother gave him records proving Dominico was stealing from both families.”
“Why didn’t Victor expose him?”
“He intended to.”
Thomas looked at Kora.
“He died before he could.”
Kora’s skin went cold.
Mateo’s uncle had supposedly died from natural causes.
“Dominico killed him?”
“I don’t know.”
“But Mom knew.”
“Yes.”
“And that’s why she died.”
Thomas looked broken.
“I believe so.”
Kora stood.
“You let me marry his son.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I tried to stop you.”
“You didn’t tell me this.”
“Because your mother made me promise.”
“She’s dead!”
“I know!”
Thomas’s voice cracked.
The room fell silent.
He covered his face.
“I know.”
Kora’s anger weakened.
Thomas lowered his hands.
“After Elena died, I thought the evidence was gone.”
“What evidence?”
“She told me she had hidden copies.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Gino’s phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then handed it to Kora.
“Mateo.”
She took it.
“You should be resting.”
“So should you.”
“My father is safe.”
“I know.”
Kora frowned.
“How?”
“I put two men outside.”
“When?”
“Before you arrived.”
She looked through the window.
Two unfamiliar men stood across the street.
“You don’t get to put guards on my family without asking.”
“You received a death threat.”
“And you’re injured.”
“Both can be true.”
Despite herself, Kora nearly smiled.
Mateo’s voice became serious.
“Gino told me about the photograph.”
“You heard everything?”
“Enough.”
“My mother knew your uncle.”
“Yes.”
“You knew?”
“No.”
Kora believed him.
That surprised her.
Mateo continued.
“Come back.”
“Why?”
“Because someone tried to kill both of us.”
“That’s not exactly romantic.”
“I’m not inviting you on a honeymoon.”
“Good.”
A pause.
Then Mateo said, “Kora.”
Something in his voice changed.
“We found something in the metal fragment.”
“What?”
“A manufacturer’s stamp.”
“And?”
“It came from a demolition company.”
Kora’s pulse changed.
“Which one?”
Mateo answered.
She stopped breathing.
The company name was printed on the invoice Kora’s mother had been holding the night she died.
May you like
And its registered owner was not Dominico Vale.
It was Leo.
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