Chapter 1
“STOP CALLING THAT STRANGER YOUR MOTHER!” THE MAFIA BOSS'S FIANCÉE SCREAMED BEFORE SLAPPING HIS SIX-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN FRONT OF EIGHTY ENGAGEMENT GUESTS. BUT WHEN THE MAID PROTECTED THE CRYING CHILD, SHE NOTICED A WOMAN IN A WHITE COAT STANDING BEYOND THE GARDEN FENCE. THE WOMAN LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE THE MAFIA BOSS'S WIFE—WHO HAD DISAPPEARED THREE YEARS EARLIER.\
“Mommy!”\
Six-year-old Sophie Moretti pressed her hands against the dining room window.\
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Outside, rain fell across the mansion's illuminated gardens.\
“Mommy's here!”\
Vanessa Sterling slammed down her champagne glass.\
“Sophie! Come away from that window!”\
The little girl didn't move.\
“She's standing by the fence!”\
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Eighty guests had gathered to celebrate Vanessa's engagement to Luca Moretti, New York's most powerful mafia boss.\
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But Sophie had barely touched her dinner.\
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For twenty minutes, she'd been watching the garden.\
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Vanessa marched toward her in a crimson evening gown.\
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“YOUR MOTHER IS GONE! STOP EMBARRASSING ME!”\
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Sophie turned, trembling.\
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“But I saw her!”\
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Vanessa grabbed her shoulder.\
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“You're ruining my engagement!”\
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“Please, Vanessa—”\
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SMACK!\
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Vanessa slapped the little girl across the cheek.\
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Sophie stumbled against the window.\
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Before she could fall, Emma Reed rushed forward.\
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The twenty-five-year-old maid caught Sophie and wrapped both arms around her.\
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“Sweetheart, I've got you.”\
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Sophie burst into tears.\
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“Emma! She hit me!”\
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Emma immediately stood between Sophie and Vanessa.\
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“Mrs. Sterling, please step back.”\
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Vanessa stared at her.\
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“GET YOUR HANDS OFF THAT CHILD!”\
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Emma remained calm.\
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“She's frightened, ma'am.”\
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“She's lying about seeing her mother!”\
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Emma gently held Sophie behind her.\
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“Then there's no reason to hurt her.”\
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Vanessa raised her hand again.\
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A deep voice thundered from the doorway.\
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“VANESSA!”\
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Luca Moretti stood at the entrance.\
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Thirty-eight years old, tall and broad-shouldered, he wore a tailored black suit.\
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His expression changed when he saw Sophie's reddened cheek.\
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He crossed the room immediately.\
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“GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER.”\
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Vanessa lowered her hand.\
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“Luca! She's been causing a scene!”\
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He ignored her and knelt before Sophie.\
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“Princess?”\
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Sophie rushed into his arms.\
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“Daddy!”\
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He held her tightly.\
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“Who hurt you?”\
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She pointed at Vanessa.\
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“She slapped me.”\
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Luca slowly looked up.\
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“YOU HIT MY CHILD?”\
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Vanessa folded her arms.\
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“She needed discipline!”\
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Luca stood, holding Sophie.\
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“She's six.”\
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“She keeps screaming about Isabella!”\
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The name silenced him.\
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Isabella Moretti.\
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His wife.\
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Missing for three years.\
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Her abandoned car had been found beside the Hudson River.\
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Police had never discovered what happened to her.\
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Luca's voice hardened.\
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“YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH MY DAUGHTER AGAIN.”\
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Vanessa stepped backward.\
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“Luca, darling—”\
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“Leave this room.”\
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“But our engagement—”\
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“NOW.”\
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Vanessa fell silent.\
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Then Sophie tugged at his jacket.\
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“Daddy, Mommy's outside.”\
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Luca looked down.\
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“What?”\
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“She was watching me.”\
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His heart tightened.\
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“Sophie…”\
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“I know what Mommy looks like!”\
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Emma turned toward the window.\
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And froze.\
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Beyond the iron garden fence stood a woman wearing a long white coat.\
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Her dark hair was soaked by the rain.\
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She wasn't looking at the mansion.\
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She was looking directly at Sophie.\
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Emma stopped breathing.\
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She knew that face.\
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She had seen it in the family photographs displayed along the upstairs hallway.\
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The same dark eyes.\
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The same delicate features.\
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Even the same small scar above her eyebrow.\
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ISABELLA MORETTI.\
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“Mr. Moretti…”\
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Luca turned.\
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Emma pointed toward the garden.\
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“There's someone outside.”\
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Vanessa's expression changed instantly.\
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“What?”\
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Emma whispered:\
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“Sir, I think you need to look.”\
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Luca approached the window.\
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The woman in white stood beneath a flickering garden lamp.\
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For one impossible second, their eyes met.\
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Luca went completely still.\
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“Isabella?”\
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The woman stepped backward.\
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Luca pressed his hand against the glass.\
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“ISABELLA!”\
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Several guests rushed toward the window.\
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Vanessa pushed through them.\
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“Where?”\
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The woman saw Vanessa.\
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Her expression changed.\
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Then she turned and hurried toward the trees.\
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Luca ran for the door.\
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“Marcus! Open the front gates!”\
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His security chief immediately followed.\
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Vanessa grabbed Luca's arm.\
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“Don't go! It could be someone trying to trick you!”\
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He pulled away.\
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“THEN WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO STOP ME?”\
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Vanessa froze.\
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Luca rushed outside.\
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Rain soaked his suit as he crossed the terrace.\
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“ISABELLA!”\
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The woman had almost reached the far end of the fence.\
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For a moment, she stopped.\
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Luca saw her turn her head.\
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He recognized her profile.\
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His breath caught.\
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“Please!”\
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But a dark vehicle passed along the road beyond the trees.\
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Its headlights briefly blinded him.\
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When the light cleared, the woman was gone.\
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Luca reached the locked garden gate.\
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He gripped the iron bars.\
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“Isabella!”\
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No answer.\
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Only rain.\
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Marcus arrived beside him.\
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“Boss, should I search the road?”\
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Luca nodded.\
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“Find her. Now.”\
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He stood motionless, staring into the darkness.\
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For three years, he'd believed his wife might be dead.\
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Now he'd seen her standing outside his own home.\
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Watching their daughter.\
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And running away the moment Vanessa appeared.\
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Behind him, the terrace doors opened.\
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Emma stepped outside, holding Sophie's hand.\
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The little girl ran toward her father.\
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“Daddy!”\
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Luca knelt and caught her.\
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“Princess, when did you first see that woman?”\
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Sophie lowered her eyes.\
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Luca gently lifted her chin.\
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“You can tell me.”\
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She hesitated.\
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Then whispered:\
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“Last week.”\
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Luca froze.\
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“Last week?”\
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Sophie nodded.\
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“And before that.”\
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His heartbeat quickened.\
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“How many times?”\
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The little girl looked toward the dark garden.\
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“I don't know.”\
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Luca swallowed.\
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“Why didn't you tell me?”\
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“I tried.”\
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“Who did you tell?”\
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Sophie looked toward the mansion.\
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Vanessa stood behind the glass doors, watching them.\
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The child's small hands tightened around Luca's jacket.\
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Then she whispered:\
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“DADDY, SHE ALWAYS LEAVES WHEN VANESSA SEES HER.”\
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Luca slowly raised his head.\
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Through the glass, Vanessa's terrified expression told him something he hadn't considered.\
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Maybe Isabella hadn't been hiding from him.\
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Maybe she'd been hiding from the woman he was about to marry.\
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And now Luca needed to know why.\
May you like
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Read Chapter 2 in the first comment to discover why Isabella had been secretly watching her daughter—and what Vanessa knew about the night Luca's wife disappeared. Thank you for reading!
