Chapter 2 - The Woman He Was Never Sleeping With
By sunrise, Adrian had locked down every legitimate Moretti business.
No unauthorized vehicles moved.
No security credentials remained active.
No private aircraft departed.
Marcus stood in the operations room while Adrian stared at a map of Chicago.
“We can locate her phone.”
“No.”
Marcus looked surprised.
Adrian’s eyes remained on the map.
“She left voluntarily.”
“You just told me Victor wanted her to run.”
“And if I activate every tracker attached to her name, whoever compromised my system sees where she is too.”
Marcus understood.
“Then what do we do?”
“We find whoever stole her documents.”
Adrian turned.
“And we find out who sent those photographs.”
Meanwhile, Evelyn sat inside a twenty-four-hour diner forty miles outside Chicago.
She had changed cars twice.
Not because she was trained.
Because she had spent six years married to a man obsessed with security.
She knew enough to understand the basics.
Turn off your normal phone.
Avoid credit cards.
Do not use familiar hotels.
Do not call family immediately.
But Evelyn was eight months pregnant.
Her lower back hurt.
Her ankles were swollen.
And every fifteen minutes, her daughter seemed determined to push one foot directly through her ribs.
A waitress approached.
“You okay, honey?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Just pregnant.”
The waitress smiled.
“I noticed.”
Despite everything, Evelyn laughed.
She ordered tea.
Then went into the bathroom and cried silently for ten minutes.
When she returned, an older woman was sitting in the booth across from hers.
Evelyn stopped.
The woman wore a beige winter coat.
Gray hair.
No makeup.
“Mrs. Moretti.”
Evelyn’s hand moved instinctively toward her stomach.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Ruth Bennett.”
“I don’t know you.”
“No.”
Ruth slid an envelope across the table.
“But your husband does.”
Evelyn did not touch it.
“What is that?”
“The reason you need to stop running blindly.”
Evelyn looked toward the exit.
“If Adrian sent you—”
“He didn’t.”
“Then leave.”
“Celeste Warren is not sleeping with your husband.”
Evelyn froze.
Ruth continued.
“The photographs were staged.”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
Ruth pushed the envelope closer.
“I expect you to believe evidence.”
Inside were surveillance photographs.
Adrian.
Celeste.
Victor Carbone.
A man Evelyn recognized immediately.
Dominic Moretti.
Adrian’s cousin.
His second-in-command.
Evelyn stared.
“What is this?”
“Your husband has spent months trying to prove Dominic is selling information.”
She looked up.
“How do you know?”
“I work for Celeste.”
“Doing what?”
“Keeping her alive.”
Evelyn’s pulse quickened.
Ruth explained.
Celeste’s younger brother had once worked for Victor Carbone.
He discovered financial records linking Dominic to Carbone.
Before he could testify, he disappeared.
Celeste approached Adrian.
Together they built a false affair.
Adrian publicly distanced himself from Evelyn.
Celeste appeared to become his weakness.
Dominic began feeding Carbone information about their meetings.
The goal was to trace the leak.
Evelyn stared at the photographs.
“He let me believe he was cheating.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if Dominic suspected you knew anything, you became part of the operation.”
“I was already part of it.”
Ruth said nothing.
“My husband turned my marriage into camouflage.”
“Yes.”
“And nobody thought I deserved to know.”
Ruth’s expression softened.
“I’m not defending him.”
“Good.”
Evelyn pushed the photographs back.
“I’m still leaving.”
Ruth nodded.
“That may be wise.”
Evelyn looked surprised.
“But not alone.”
“I don’t know you.”
“Then don’t trust me.”
Ruth stood.
“Trust this.”
She placed another photograph down.
It showed Evelyn leaving her obstetrician’s office three days earlier.
Behind her stood one of Adrian’s security guards.
Beside him was Dominic.
The timestamp showed Dominic had lied about being in New York that day.
Ruth said:
“Victor knows your due date.”
Evelyn’s face drained.
“He knows your hospital.”
Her hand moved to her stomach.
“And someone inside Adrian’s house removed your passport so you would believe your husband was controlling your exit.”
Evelyn whispered:
“Why?”
“Because an angry woman runs.”
Ruth looked toward the snowy parking lot.
“A frightened woman hides.”
Then back at Evelyn.
“And hidden women are easier to isolate.”
Evelyn’s phone—the prepaid one—buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Her mother’s house.
Christmas decorations glowing on the porch.
A message beneath it:
COME HOME, EVELYN.
OR WE VISIT HER FIRST.
Her blood went cold.
Ruth saw her expression.
“What?”
Evelyn showed her.
Ruth immediately sat back down.
“Do not call your mother.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“For the next hour?”
Ruth looked at her.
“Disappear properly.”
Back in Chicago, Adrian stood across from Dominic Moretti.
“Merry Christmas,” Dominic said.
Adrian stared.
“Where were you yesterday morning?”
“Why?”
“Answer.”
“New York.”
“What hotel?”
Dominic smiled.
“You checking my receipts now?”
Adrian’s expression did not change.
“Which hotel?”
“The Mercer.”
Marcus watched from the corner.
Dominic’s smile faded.
Adrian placed a photograph on the table.
Dominic outside Evelyn’s obstetrician’s office.
His cousin stared at it.
Then laughed.
“That’s interesting.”
“You lied.”
“Apparently.”
“Why were you following my wife?”
Dominic looked up.
“I wasn’t.”
“Then explain.”
“I can’t.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“Wrong answer.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
“You’re letting pregnancy make you emotional.”
Adrian became very still.
Marcus recognized the danger immediately.
Dominic continued.
“Maybe Evelyn ran because she finally realized what you are.”
Adrian grabbed him by the throat.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Adrian.”
Dominic smiled despite the pressure.
“There he is.”
Adrian released him.
Dominic straightened his collar.
“You want to know where your wife is?”
Adrian stared.
Dominic whispered:
“So does Victor.”
And suddenly Adrian understood.
Dominic had not come to threaten him.
He had come to watch him.
Because wherever Adrian searched first would tell Victor where Evelyn was likely to go.
Adrian smiled.
Dominic’s confidence faltered.
“What?”
“You don’t know where she is.”
Silence.
Adrian stepped closer.
“Neither does Victor.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“And now you’re both waiting for me to find her for you.”
Adrian turned toward Marcus.
“Cancel everything.”
“What?”
“All searches.”
Dominic stared.
Adrian looked back.
“My wife wanted to disappear.”
His voice became cold.
“For once in our marriage, I’m going to respect what she wanted.”
But inside, Adrian was terrified.
May you like
Because he had finally realized the most dangerous thing he could do to Evelyn was exactly what he had always done.
Take control.
