Behind The False Name

Listening

I woke up earlier than I wanted to.

For a few seconds, I didn’t remember where I was.

Then I saw the unfamiliar ceiling above me, the expensive curtains beside the window and the large room that still felt too beautiful to be mine.

The Moretti estate.

My eyes moved toward the phone on the bedside table.

I already knew what I’d find there. But I picked it up anyway.

The message from last night was still on my screen.

Don’t get comfortable, Evelyn. Remember why you’re there.

I stared at it for a moment before locking my phone.

Hmph…as if I needed the reminder.

I got dressed and went downstairs, hoping nobody would notice how little sleep I’d actually gotten.

Unfortunately, Alessia noticed everything.

“You look tired.”

I stopped halfway into the kitchen.

“Good morning to you too.”

“Good morning. Now answer me.”

“I didn’t sleep much.”

“Why?”

I pulled out a chair and sat down. “New environment, I guess. Everything still feels strange.”

She nodded in understanding.

“That’s normal. The first time I slept in the guest room, I kept waking up because I thought someone was walking around outside.”

I looked at her, slightly surprised.

“Was someone?”

She shook her head.

“No. It was Dad.”

“Your dad?”

“He gets up ridiculously early. Sometimes he starts walking around the house at five in the morning like he’s preparing for war.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. And don’t let him hear me say that.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Because he has excellent hearing.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Selena walked into the kitchen just in time to hear the last part.

“What does your father have excellent hearing for?”

Alessia immediately looked innocent.

“Nothing.”

Selena narrowed her eyes.

“Alessia.”

“Mom, I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to. Your face did.”

I laughed, and Selena looked at me.

“See? She’s already laughing at you.”

“I’m just getting to know everyone.”

“Don’t worry,” Selena said as she placed a plate in front of me. “You’ll learn very quickly that this family spends half its time arguing and the other half pretending we weren’t arguing.”

I picked up my fork.

“I think I can survive.”

“Good,” Selena said. “Because you’re stuck with us for now.”

There was something about the way she said it that made my chest tighten.

Stuck with us.

If only she knew.

After breakfast, Alessia insisted on showing me around the estate properly.

“You can’t keep getting lost every time you want to go somewhere.”

“I haven’t gotten lost.”

“You asked one of the maids where the library was.”

“That doesn’t mean I was lost.”

“You were standing in front of the laundry room.”

I gave her a confused look. “How was I supposed to know?”

She shook her head, clearly amused.

“Exactly. That’s why I’m showing you around.”

We walked through the east wing first, then the garden and the pool area.

She talked almost the entire time.

I didn’t mind. Actually, listening to Alessia was useful.

She told me little things about the family without realizing how much information she was giving me.

Who usually ate breakfast downstairs. When Victor went to his study.How late Leo usually worked.

Which days Selena had meetings with the family’s charity foundation.

Nothing important on its own. But small details had a way of becoming useful later.

We stopped outside a dark wooden door and Alessia pointed at it.

“And that’s Leo’s office.”

“He has an office here?” I said, looking at the dark tall door.

“Of course.”

“I thought he worked at Aureon.”

“He does. But he handles some things from home.”

“Business?”

“Yeah, mostly,” She nodded.

“Is Aureon the family company?”I asked, trying to keep my expression casual.

“Part of it.”

“Part?”

“It’s complicated.”

She waved her hand.

“Honestly, I don’t understand half of what Leo does. He talks about companies, investments, acquisitions, and things that make my head hurt.”

I smiled.

“Sounds complicated.”

“It is.”

She started walking again.

“And you don’t know what kind of business they do?”

“I know enough,” She shrugged.

“Leo runs Aureon. Dad is technically retired, so Leo handles most of the serious stuff now.”

“Your father is retired?”

“Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“That’s the thing. Dad says he’s retired, but somehow he still knows everything happening in the company.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know how to stay away,” I said, smiling.

“Exactly.”

She glanced at me.

“Why are you suddenly so interested in business?”

I paused trying to figure out what to say next.

“I studied business administration. I’m naturally curious.”

“That makes sense. You’d probably get along with Leo better than I expected.”

My smile faded slightly.

“Why?”

“You’re both observant.”

“I don’t think Leo would agree.”

“No, he probably wouldn’t. He’d probably just stare at you and say something annoying.”

We both laughed.

The rest of the day passed quietly.

I spent some time in the library after lunch, then helped Selena choose between two flower arrangements for the dining room.

The longer I stayed, the easier it became to forget that I was pretending.

Still, I couldn’t ignore the reason I was here.

I needed information.

And so far, I hadn’t gotten much.

That night, after dinner, I went upstairs with everyone else.

Or at least, that’s what they thought.

I waited until the house became quiet before leaving my room again.

I wasn’t looking for trouble.

I was looking for an opportunity.

And as if God were on my side, I actually found one.

There was a light coming from the study downstairs.

I stopped at the end of the hallway and I heard voices.

Victor and Leo's voices.

I moved closer, and I saw the study door was slightly open.

I could hear them clearly enough from the hallway.

“You’re certain?” Victor asked.

Leo answered after a short pause.

“Yes.”

“Then we need to be careful.”

They were talking about business.

I kept my breathing slow and listened.

Victor continued, “The shipment was supposed to arrive yesterday.”

“It didn’t. Someone delayed it.”

“And you think it was intentional?”

“The same thing happened with the last two shipments.”

My eyes narrowed.

Two shipments?

Leo walked across the room.

“We’ve got a leak.”

My heart skipped.

A leak.

Someone inside the company was giving information away.

“What about the security reports?”

“They’re being checked.”

Leo Moretti didn’t seem like the kind of man who gave people easy access to his life—or his business.

Which meant getting close to him wouldn’t be simple.

Then Victor asked, “What are you going to do?”

Leo didn’t answer immediately.

When he finally did, his voice was calm.

“I’m going to find the person responsible before they realize I’m looking.”

Before I could think about it, footsteps moved toward the door.

I quickly stepped away and slipped behind the corner.

The study door opened and Leo walked out.

He suddenly stopped in the hallway.

For one terrifying second, I thought he’d seen me.

His eyes moved slowly across the corridor.

I kept my face turned away and stayed glued behind the pillars.

After a few seconds, he walked past me.

I waited until his footsteps disappeared before letting out the breath I’d been holding.

So there was a leak inside Aureon.

Someone was stealing information and passing it somewhere else.

I returned to my room and closed the door behind me.

My mind was already working.

If information was leaving Aureon from the inside, then someone in that company had access to things they shouldn’t.

And if I wanted to understand the Morettis, there was probably no better place to start than Aureon.

I sat on my bed and stared at the floor.

Maybe I wouldn’t have to wait long to get inside. But there was one thing I hadn’t expected.

As I reached for my phone, I remembered Leo’s final words.

“I’m going to find the person responsible before they realize I’m looking.”

For the first time since arriving at the Moretti estate, I knew exactly where I needed to be.