Chapter 2 - THE FIRST WARNING
For several seconds, neither woman moved.
Sophia forced herself to breathe normally.
Valentina looked at the tray in Sophia’s hands.
Then she looked down the empty hallway.
“What are you doing here?”
Sophia lowered her eyes.
“Cleaning up after dinner.”
Valentina stepped closer.
“At midnight?”
“The guests stayed late.”
Valentina studied her face.
Sophia had spent years learning how to hide fear.
That night, she needed every second of practice.
Valentina reached for one of the empty champagne glasses.
She turned it slowly between her fingers.
“What did you hear?”
Sophia pretended not to understand.
“Hear?”
The glass shattered against the wall beside Sophia’s head.
Sophia flinched.
Valentina’s voice remained quiet.
“That was the wrong answer.”
The two men emerged from the library.
Neither spoke.
Sophia recognized one of them now.
His name was Victor Kane.
He had visited the estate several times and had always been introduced as a security consultant.
Valentina moved close enough for Sophia to smell her perfume.
“Your daughter is very sweet.”
Sophia’s blood went cold.
Valentina touched a loose strand of Sophia’s hair.
“Lily likes the greenhouse.”
Sophia stared at her.
Valentina smiled again.
“She likes feeding the koi at seven fifteen before school.”
Sophia could no longer pretend.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
Victor chuckled.
Valentina tilted her head.
“There she is.”
Sophia stepped backward.
Valentina’s smile vanished.
“You work in my home.”
“This is Mr. Moretti’s home.”
The words escaped before Sophia could stop them.
Valentina slapped her.
The blow was sharp enough to turn Sophia’s head.
Victor closed the library door.
Valentina grabbed Sophia by the chin.
“You will learn something tonight.”
Her fingernails pressed into Sophia’s skin.
“Lorenzo is gone more than he is here.”
“He trusts me.”
“He signs what I put in front of him.”
“And soon, this entire estate will answer to me.”
Sophia pulled away.
Valentina slapped her again.
Then she whispered the sentence Sophia would remember for the rest of her life.
“If you tell Lorenzo anything, your daughter will disappear before sunrise.”
Sophia looked into her eyes.
She saw no anger there.
That frightened her most.
Valentina meant every word.
The next morning, Sophia found Lily waiting outside their cottage.
The little girl was holding something in her hand.
“Mommy?”
Sophia crouched.
“What is it?”
Lily opened her fingers.
A small bronze key rested in her palm.
“I found it in Miss Valentina’s garden.”
Sophia stared at the key.
Then she noticed the symbol engraved into the metal.
A small cross surrounded by three waves.
May you like
She had seen that symbol before.
On the shipping map inside Lorenzo’s library.
