Chapter 5 - The Woman in the Red Dress
The truth came at a charity gala.
Mara hated every second of it.
Adrian had insisted she attend.
"You can't remain invisible forever," he told her.
"That's exactly what I've been doing successfully."
"Someone is targeting you."
"Then why put me in a room with five hundred people?"
"Because nobody will expect the woman beside me to be important."
Mara stared at him.
"That's your security plan?"
"It's worked so far."
She wore a simple black dress.
Adrian wore a tuxedo.
When they entered the ballroom together, conversations stopped.
Mara felt every eye.
Adrian leaned close.
"Ignore them."
"Easy for you to say."
"You're doing fine."
His hand rested against her waist.
Mara's heartbeat changed.
"Adrian."
"Yes?"
"You're holding me."
"I noticed."
"People are staring."
"Let them."
She looked up.
His expression was serious.
Too serious.
Before Mara could respond, a woman in a red dress approached.
"Adrian."
His face changed.
"Celeste."
Mara recognized her from newspapers.
Celeste Ward.
Adrian's former fiancée.
And the daughter of a federal judge.
Celeste looked at Mara.
Then smiled.
"Interesting."
Mara disliked her immediately.
Later, Mara noticed Celeste speaking privately with Lucas.
Then she noticed something else.
Celeste slipped a folded paper into his hand.
Mara followed them.
She listened from behind a service door.
"...the shipment leaves Friday," Lucas whispered.
"And Adrian?"
"He won't be alive to stop it."
Mara's blood turned cold.
She pulled out her phone.
A hand covered her mouth.
Mara struggled.
Then heard Adrian's voice.
"Easy."
She spun.
"Jesus!"
He released her.
"You scared me!"
"You followed Lucas."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he's working with Celeste."
Adrian's expression changed.
Mara showed him the recording.
His eyes darkened.
Then footsteps approached.
Lucas.
Adrian pushed Mara behind him.
The door opened.
Lucas stopped.
For one second, the brothers stared at each other.
Then Lucas smiled.
That smile.
Mara remembered her father's warning.
Don't trust the Bellini who smiles.
Lucas raised his hands.
"Adrian."
Adrian's voice was ice.
"How long?"
Lucas stopped smiling.
"How long what?"
"How long have you been selling me out?"
Silence.
Lucas looked at Mara.
Then back at Adrian.
"You always were smarter than people gave you credit for."
Adrian pulled his gun.
Lucas laughed.
"You won't shoot me."
"Try me."
Then the ballroom lights exploded.
Gunfire erupted.
Guests screamed.
Lucas disappeared.
Adrian grabbed Mara and pulled her behind a pillar.
"Stay down!"
Mara's eyes searched the crowd.
She saw Celeste.
She saw Lucas.
And she saw another man.
Standing beside the emergency exit.
A man she knew.
Her father's old business partner.
The man who had attended her father's funeral.
The man who had told her it was a heart attack.
Mara whispered:
"Adrian."
"What?"
"He's here."
"Who?"
May you like
Mara pointed.
"He's the man who killed my father."
