Chapter 5 – THE MAN IN THE COAT POCKET
I stared at the name printed in bold black ink on the second boarding pass.
Arthur Sterling.
I knew that name. Every single person in the Moretti household knew that name. Arthur Sterling was Luca’s chief financial advisor and the family’s most trusted lawyer. He had been with the Moretti family for over twenty years, managing everything from the estate to the legitimate business fronts.
He was also the man who had stood beside me in the dining room just an hour ago, cheerfully raising a glass of champagne to toast Luca and Vanessa’s engagement.
“Mr. Moretti,” I whispered.
My voice was barely audible, but Luca heard me. He slowly lifted his head from his mother’s lap, wiping his eyes. He stood up, his posture instantly shifting back to the hardened man he had to be.
“What is it, Hannah?”
I walked over and handed him the envelope.
“I found this in Vanessa’s coat pocket,” I said, my hands shaking. “They’re one-way tickets to Switzerland. For tomorrow morning.”
Luca pulled the tickets out. His eyes scanned the names.
I watched the realization hit him. The final piece of the puzzle falling into place.
Vanessa’s father hadn’t masterminded this alone. The offshore accounts she had screamed about… Arthur was the one managing them.
“Arthur,” Luca said. The name tasted like poison in his mouth.
He looked at his head of security, who had just returned from the basement. “Where is Arthur?”
“He left with the other guests, Boss,” the guard replied. “Said he was going back to his office downtown.”
“Get him,” Luca ordered. “I don’t care if you have to drag him out of his bed. Bring him back here.”
The guard nodded and bolted out the front door.
Teresa looked exhausted, her face pale and drawn. The adrenaline of the night was wearing off.
“Mom,” Luca said softly, turning back to her. “I’m going to have the driver take you and Daniel to the penthouse in the city. It’s secure. You need to rest, and I need to handle this.”
Daniel tightened his grip on my hand. “I want to stay with Hannah.”
Luca looked at me. The gratitude in his eyes was overwhelming. “Hannah, would you go with them? Please? I trust you with them.”
“Of course, sir,” I said without hesitation.
An hour later, we were in the back of an armored SUV, speeding toward downtown Chicago. Teresa had fallen asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. Daniel was awake, staring out the window at the passing city lights.
“Hannah?” Daniel whispered.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Do you think Grandma will get better? Now that she’s not taking the bad pills?”
“I do,” I said, squeezing his hand. “The doctor is going to help flush it all out of her system. She’s going to be just fine.”
Daniel nodded, resting his head against the window.
When we arrived at the penthouse, I got Teresa settled into the master bedroom and tucked Daniel into the guest room. The penthouse was massive, silent, and incredibly safe, guarded by two men at the front door.
I went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. My hands were still shaking from the events of the evening.
Just as the kettle began to whistle, my cell phone buzzed in my apron pocket.
It was an unknown number.
I hesitated, then answered. “Hello?”
“Hannah,” a breathless, panicked voice hissed through the speaker.
It was Vanessa.
My blood froze. “How did you get this number?”
“Listen to me,” Vanessa cried, the sound of static and echoing walls in the background. She was using a burner phone, likely smuggled into the basement holding room. “You have to help me. If Luca finds Arthur, Arthur is going to tell him the rest of it. And if Luca finds out the truth, he won’t just kill me. He’ll kill you too.”
“You’re insane,” I whispered, moving toward the kitchen door to ensure the guards couldn’t hear. “I have nothing to do with your crimes.”
“You know the safe in my dressing room at the mansion?” Vanessa demanded, ignoring me. “Teresa saw me open it once. She knows the combination. I need you to go back, open it, and destroy the photograph inside. If Luca sees that photograph, Hannah, we are all dead.”
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