Chapter 7 - The Enemy Wearing His Family NameRoman ordered me to leave Chicago.
I refused.
He offered a private jet.
I refused again.
He suggested sending Lily to a secure property in Montana.
That time, I agreed.
My sister had already sacrificed too much because of my connection to the Cavalli family.
Lily hugged me before leaving.
"Promise you'll be careful."
I held her tightly.
"I promise."
She looked over my shoulder at Roman.
"If anything happens to her, I'll personally fail nursing school just to haunt you."
Roman blinked.
Then he smiled.
"Understood."
Lily left with Teresa and two security guards.
For the first time in days, I could breathe.
Until Daniel arrived with the results of his investigation.
Frankie had not acted alone.
The money funding his betrayal came from a company registered in Switzerland.
Its director was a man named Alessandro Cavalli.
Roman's uncle.
I looked at Roman.
"Your uncle?"
He nodded slowly.
"My father's younger brother."
"Is he still alive?"
"Unfortunately."
Alessandro had supposedly retired to Italy three years earlier.
But financial records showed regular payments to Orlov's foundation.
And one payment, made six years earlier, matched the date of Elena's disappearance.
Roman stared at the screen.
"My father wasn't the only one involved."
Daniel nodded.
"There's more."
He opened an old legal document.
A trust agreement.
The Cavalli family's legitimate assets had been divided between Roman and Alessandro.
But a clause stated that if Roman died without a surviving child, Alessandro would inherit control of the holding company.
My stomach tightened.
"Sofia."
Roman nodded.
"If she was alive, Alessandro couldn't inherit."
"And if he convinced everyone she was dead?"
"He could move against me without worrying about her claim."
Daniel opened another document.
An adoption record.
A little girl had been placed with a family in Wisconsin five years earlier.
Her name was Emma.
Her birthdate matched Sofia's.
Roman stared at the screen.
"Where is she?"
Daniel hesitated.
"The adoptive parents died in a car accident eighteen months ago."
My heart stopped.
"What happened to the child?"
"She was transferred into private guardianship."
"Whose?"
Daniel looked directly at Roman.
"Alessandro Cavalli."
Roman didn't speak for a long time.
Then he stood.
"Find him."
Marco nodded.
But before he could leave, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Roman looked at me.
"Don't answer."
I answered.
"Cara Bennett?"
A woman's voice.
Calm.
Tired.
"Yes."
"My name is Elena Marquez."
The room went silent.
Roman stepped closer.
I put the call on speaker.
Elena continued.
"I know Roman is with you."
He swallowed.
"Elena."
A long silence followed.
Then she began crying.
"Roman, I'm sorry."
His face crumpled.
"Where are you?"
"I'm safe for now."
"Where is our daughter?"
"With Alessandro."
Roman closed his eyes.
Elena's voice shook.
"He told me you ordered the bombing."
The words struck like lightning.
"What?" Roman whispered.
"He showed me documents. Recordings. He said you wanted me gone because I knew about the hospital money."
Roman shook his head.
"I would never—"
"I know that now."
She began crying harder.
"I was terrified. They told me you were going to kill Sofia."
Roman gripped the table.
"Elena, listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"I loved you."
The room became painfully quiet.
"I never stopped loving the woman I thought you were."
Elena sobbed.
"And I loved you."
I looked away.
Roman continued.
"But I need to know something."
"What?"
"Why didn't you come back?"
Silence.
Then Elena whispered, "Because Alessandro told me Sofia would die if I did."
Roman's expression hardened.
"Where are you now?"
Before she could answer, a man's voice sounded in the background.
"Time's up."
Elena gasped.
"Roman, don't trust—"
The line disconnected.
Daniel immediately began tracing the call.
Roman stood motionless.
Then he whispered, "Don't trust whom?"
I looked at the screen.
The call had originated from inside Chicago.
Not Italy.
Not Wisconsin.
Chicago.
And the building belonged to Cavalli Enterprises.
Roman stared at the address.
It was his father's old headquarters.
A building that had been abandoned for six years.
That evening, Roman received a package.
Inside was a gold wedding ring.
Elena's ring.
Beneath it lay a note.
Come alone, nephew.
Bring the woman you love.
Or lose both of them.
Roman read the message.
May you like
Then he looked at me.
For the first time, he didn't try to hide his fear.
Related Stories
