Chapter 3 - The Woman Who Tried to Be Invisible
The morning after Dominic caught Beatrice dancing, breakfast became unbearable.
Not because he said anything.
Because he said nothing.
Beatrice poured cereal for Leo while trying very hard not to remember herself spinning barefoot across the kitchen.
Dominic entered.
Black suit.
Perfect hair.
Unreadable expression.
“Morning, Daddy.”
“Morning.”
Then Dominic looked at Beatrice.
“Miss Gallagher.”
Her spoon hit the bowl.
“Mr. Russo.”
Leo looked between them.
“Why are you weird?”
“We’re not weird,” Beatrice said.
“You’re both weird.”
Dominic sat down.
Beatrice escaped to the refrigerator.
She could feel him behind her.
Or imagined she could.
That was worse.
For years, Beatrice had dealt with people noticing her.
But Dominic had seen something she rarely showed anyone.
Joy without permission.
And strangely, he never mocked her for it.
He never mentioned her body.
Never made a joke.
Never turned the private moment into something cheap.
Instead, he began appearing.
Breakfast.
The library.
The garden.
The kitchen.
Sometimes he had an excuse.
Usually Leo.
Sometimes he did not.
One afternoon Beatrice was helping Leo build a cardboard castle when Dominic appeared in the playroom doorway.
Leo held up a cardboard sword.
“Daddy, Bea says the dragon needs motivation.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Does it?”
“All compelling villains do.”
“What’s his motivation?”
Beatrice pointed at the cardboard dragon.
“Tax policy.”
Dominic stared.
Leo collapsed laughing.
And Dominic Russo laughed.
Once.
Quietly.
Beatrice froze.
So did Dominic.
It seemed neither of them had expected it.
That was the first crack in the wall.
More followed.
She discovered Dominic drank coffee without sugar.
He discovered she hated olives.
She learned he sometimes stood outside Leo’s bedroom after nightmares because he did not know whether entering would comfort the boy or wake him.
He learned Beatrice sang badly while cooking and did it anyway.
But the mansion still contained shadows.
Men arrived after midnight.
Conversations stopped when she entered rooms.
Security increased without explanation.
And Victor Hale seemed to be everywhere.
Watching doors.
Checking cameras.
Smiling politely.
Three weeks after the dance, Beatrice found the emergency-access cabinet open again.
Victor closed it before she could look inside.
“Routine maintenance.”
She nodded.
But this time she remembered.
May you like
And somewhere inside the enormous Russo estate, somebody else had begun noticing that Beatrice Gallagher was paying attention.
That somebody would eventually decide she had seen too much.
