Chapter 6 - The Secret Daniel Left Behind
Sophia knew Dominic was hiding something before he returned to Margaret's room.
His face gave away almost nothing.
But by then Sophia had learned that Dominic's silences had different shapes.
There was the silence he used when irritated.
The silence he used when thinking.
The silence he used when someone had made a mistake.
This was different.
This was protective silence.
And Sophia had begun to hate it.
“What happened?”
Dominic looked at Margaret.
Then at Sophia.
“We need to talk outside.”
Margaret waved them away.
“Go.”
Sophia followed him into the hallway.
“What?”
“Marco found Daniel.”
Her entire body became rigid.
“Where?”
“New Jersey.”
“Is he okay?”
The question surprised her.
It surprised Dominic too.
Sophia immediately corrected herself.
“I mean—is he involved?”
“Yes.”
Her face hardened.
“With Romano?”
“Not exactly.”
“Dominic.”
“He claims he stole something from Victor Romano four years ago.”
Sophia stared.
“What?”
“A ledger.”
“What kind of ledger?”
“Names. Payments. Shipping routes. Politicians. Police. Judges. Businesses.”
Sophia's mouth opened.
Then closed.
“Why would Daniel have that?”
“That's what I intend to ask.”
“Where is he?”
“Marco has him.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You aren't interrogating him without me.”
“That isn't happening.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Sophia—”
“He is Lily's father.”
“He abandoned you.”
“That doesn't erase my right to know why.”
Dominic looked toward Margaret's bedroom.
“This is your sister's wedding.”
“Which you brought a criminal conspiracy into.”
The words hit.
Sophia regretted them.
But not enough to take them back.
Dominic's jaw flexed.
“Fine.”
She blinked.
“Fine?”
“You come.”
“When?”
“After the wedding.”
Sophia crossed her arms.
“Together.”
“Yes.”
“No men grabbing him.”
“I can't promise that.”
“Dominic.”
“If Daniel has spent four years with something Victor Romano wants, he may be dangerous.”
“He's a coward.”
“Cowards can be dangerous.”
Sophia couldn't argue.
They returned to the reception.
For the remaining hours, both pretended.
Sophia smiled in photographs.
Dominic spoke politely to relatives.
Lily danced.
Margaret stayed long enough to watch Emma and Ben cut the cake.
But beneath the celebration ran a second reality.
A ledger.
Daniel.
Four years of surveillance.
Someone leaving a threat on Dominic's windshield.
At ten thirty, Margaret went upstairs.
Sophia tucked her into bed.
“You're leaving tonight,” Margaret said.
Sophia paused.
“How do you know?”
“You keep looking at the clock.”
Sophia sat beside her.
“There's something I have to handle.”
“With him?”
“Yes.”
Margaret studied her.
“You trust him?”
Sophia looked through the window.
Dominic stood near the barn doors with Lily asleep against his shoulder.
He held her awkwardly.
Carefully.
Mr. Whiskers was trapped between them.
Sophia's chest tightened.
“I don't know.”
Margaret smiled.
“Wrong answer.”
“What?”
“Trust isn't a weather forecast.”
Sophia frowned.
“You decide how much of yourself somebody has earned.”
She looked again at Dominic.
“How much has he earned?”
Sophia whispered, “More than I wanted.”
Margaret reached for her hand.
“Then don't punish him because you're scared that number might grow.”
Sophia lowered her eyes.
“Mom, he is complicated.”
“All interesting men are.”
“He may literally be a criminal.”
Margaret paused.
“That part is less ideal.”
Sophia laughed.
Margaret smiled.
“But nobody is only the worst thing they've done.”
Her gaze softened.
“Or the worst thing done to them.”
Sophia kissed her forehead.
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“That's all?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“You've been saying it since you were two. I believed you the first thousand times.”
Sophia smiled through tears.
When she came downstairs, Dominic had placed Lily inside the car.
“Ready?”
“No.”
“Neither am I.”
They drove back toward Manhattan.
Lily slept.
Sophia watched the highway lights.
Eventually she asked, “What will happen to Daniel?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“What he tells me.”
“You sound terrifying when you say things like that.”
“I'm aware.”
“Try sounding less terrifying.”
Dominic considered it.
“What he shares may influence future developments.”
Sophia stared.
“That was worse.”
“I tried.”
She smiled despite herself.
Two hours later they entered an office building in Queens that Sophia had never seen.
Marco waited upstairs.
He was broad-shouldered, dark-haired, and visibly exhausted.
He looked at Sophia.
“You must be Sophia.”
“You must be the man who thinks surveillance is a personality.”
Marco glanced at Dominic.
“I like her.”
“No.”
Sophia stepped forward.
“Where is Daniel?”
Marco's humor disappeared.
“Conference room.”
“Is he hurt?”
“No.”
“Was he threatened?”
Marco looked at Dominic.
Sophia followed his gaze.
“Seriously?”
Dominic sighed.
“He was encouraged to cooperate.”
“What does that mean?”
Daniel's voice came from behind the door.
“It means his friend is an asshole.”
Sophia froze.
Four years disappeared.
She opened the door.
Daniel Carter stood at the far end of a conference table.
He was thinner.
Older.
His blond hair had darkened.
A scar crossed one eyebrow that Sophia did not remember.
He looked at her.
Everything in his face collapsed.
“Sophie.”
Dominic immediately disliked the nickname.
Sophia entered slowly.
Daniel stepped forward.
She raised a hand.
“Don't.”
He stopped.
His eyes filled.
“You look good.”
“Don't.”
“I didn't think I'd ever—”
“Where have you been?”
Daniel looked down.
Sophia's voice broke.
“Where have you been?”
“Running.”
“From who?”
“Romano.”
“Why?”
Daniel looked toward Dominic.
“You told her?”
“Enough.”
Sophia slammed her palm on the table.
“No. Nobody is going to decide what 'enough' means anymore.”
Every man in the room went quiet.
She pointed at Daniel.
“You left me eight months pregnant.”
“I know.”
“You changed your phone.”
“I had to.”
“You missed her birth.”
“I know.”
“You missed four birthdays.”
Daniel's eyes filled.
“I know.”
“No, you don't get to say that like it counts as an apology.”
He lowered his head.
Sophia breathed hard.
Then:
“Tell me about the ledger.”
Daniel looked at Dominic.
Dominic said, “Tell her.”
Daniel sat.
“I was working construction at one of Romano's warehouses.”
“What warehouse?”
“Elizabeth docks.”
Dominic and Marco exchanged a glance.
Daniel continued.
“I gambled. That part was true. I owed money. But not enough to disappear.”
“Then why?”
“One night I stayed late. I saw Romano's accountant meet a councilman. They had a book.”
“A physical ledger?” Dominic asked.
“Yes. Romano didn't trust everything digital.”
Daniel rubbed his face.
“I was stupid.”
“You stole it,” Sophia said.
“I thought I could sell it.”
Dominic's tone became cold.
“To who?”
“Feds. Rivals. I didn't know.”
Marco muttered, “Brilliant.”
Daniel ignored him.
“But when Romano's people figured out it was missing, I panicked.”
“And you left me,” Sophia said.
“I thought if they believed you knew nothing, they'd leave you alone.”
“They watched me.”
“I know.”
“You knew?”
Daniel looked sick.
“I saw them sometimes.”
Sophia stood so quickly her chair fell.
“You watched them watch us?”
“I couldn't get near you.”
“You could have called.”
“They monitored everything.”
“You could have gone to police.”
“Some police were in the ledger.”
Dominic's voice sharpened.
“Where is it?”
Daniel looked at Sophia.
She shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Sophie, remember the hospital bag?”
She stared.
“What about it?”
“The blue one.”
“I threw that away years ago.”
“No.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“You gave it to your mother.”
Sophia frowned.
“My mother?”
“You said she liked the bag.”
Sophia's face changed.
A memory.
After Lily's birth, Margaret had visited for two weeks.
Sophia had given her several things she no longer needed.
Baby blankets.
Extra clothes.
The blue canvas bag.
Daniel whispered:
“I cut open the lining and put the ledger inside.”
Sophia went pale.
“My mother has it?”
“If she never threw the bag away.”
Nobody spoke.
Then Dominic's phone rang.
He answered.
Marco watched his expression change.
“What happened?” Sophia asked.
Dominic held up a hand.
He listened.
Then he turned to Marco.
“Get the car.”
Sophia's heart stopped.
“What?”
Dominic ended the call.
“One of our men near Bellwood saw two vehicles heading toward your mother's farm.”
Sophia grabbed her coat.
“How long?”
“Maybe twenty minutes.”
She ran for the door.
Dominic caught her wrist.
“We're five hours away.”
Sophia's eyes filled with panic.
“My mother is there.”
“I know.”
“Lily—”
“Lily stays with Marco.”
“No.”
Dominic turned.
“Marco.”
“I've got her.”
Sophia shook her head violently.
“I am not leaving my daughter.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I can go.”
Dominic looked at him.
“You are the last person going near that house.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“You need me.”
“For what?”
“Because Romano doesn't know where the ledger is.”
Dominic stared.
Daniel continued.
“But Matteo does.”
“How?”
Daniel looked toward Sophia.
“Because Matteo helped me steal it.”
Silence.
And suddenly everything Dominic thought he understood about the threat changed.
This wasn't simply Victor Romano hunting a thief.
It was a nephew hiding a betrayal.
And if Matteo reached Margaret before they did—
May you like
the dying woman upstairs might become the only person standing between him and a secret capable of destroying the Romano empire.
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