Chapter 4 - The Ledger
1277 Words
ISABELLA POV
The alarm stopped.
The silence that followed was somehow worse.
I stood in the middle of the corridor, staring at Nico while his words repeated themselves in my head.
Only family.
Someone inside this house had helped the people who attacked me.
And suddenly, every person I'd met since arriving felt like a potential enemy.
Luca.
Matteo.
Nico.
Even Adriano.
Especially Adriano.
Because if the security system could only be breached from inside, then somebody close to the Vittoris had opened the door.
Adriano turned toward Nico.
“Lock down the estate.”
“Already done.”
“Check every entrance.”
“We have.”
“Then check them again.”
Nico nodded and walked away.
Luca remained where he was.
“You really think someone in the family is involved?”
Adriano looked at him.
“I think someone inside this house helped them.”
“That wasn't what I asked.”
“It was the answer you're getting.”
Luca's expression hardened.
“You're accusing us without evidence.”
“I'm not accusing anyone.”
“You're looking at me like you are.”
“Then perhaps you have something to be worried about.”
The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop
Luca took a step toward him.
Adriano didn't move.
For several seconds, the brothers stared at each other.
There was no affection in that silence.
No warmth.
Only distrust.
Then Luca gave a humorless laugh.
“You've changed.”
Adriano's eyes narrowed.
“No. I've just stopped pretending everyone around me is loyal.”
Luca's jaw clenched.
“Careful, brother.”
“I'm always careful.”
Luca looked at me.
For the first time, I saw something in his expression that unsettled me.
Not fear.
Calculation.
Then he walked away.
I watched him disappear around the corner.
“Was that normal?” I asked.
“No.”
Adriano's answer came too quickly.
I turned toward him.
“Do you trust your brother?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
I waited.
He didn't say anything else.
“That sounded convincing.”
His expression darkened.
“You're beginning to ask dangerous questions.”
“I've had a dangerous evening.”
“Exactly.”
He walked away.
I followed.
Not because I trusted him.
Because I wanted answers.
He led me into a security room filled with monitors.
Nico was already there.
He brought up the footage from the east corridor.
A figure appeared on the screen.
Black clothes.
Face hidden.
Moving with deliberate confidence.
I leaned closer.
“He knows the house.”
Adriano glanced at me.
“What makes you say that?”
“He isn't checking where he's going.”
I pointed toward the screen.
“He doesn't hesitate at the turns. He knows where the cameras are.”
Nico's expression changed.
“He avoided every blind spot.”
I looked at Adriano.
“So whoever this is has been here before.”
“Or has access to our security plans.”
“Who has access?”
Silence.
I looked between them.
“Who?”
Nico answered carefully.
“Adriano. Luca. Matteo. Me.”.
My stomach tightened.
“Anyone else?”
“No.”
Adriano stared at the screen.
“Run the access logs.”
Nico did.
A list appeared.
My eyes moved down the names.
Then stopped.
MATTEO VITTORI — 11:42 P.M.
I looked at Adriano.
“Your brother was here tonight?”
“He wasn't supposed to be.”
Nico checked another screen.
“His security pass was used at the east entrance.”
Adriano's face went cold.
“When?”
“Eleven forty-two.”
My heart dropped.
My father had called me at 11:47.
Five minutes later, the lights in my house had gone out.
Five minutes.
I looked at Adriano.
“That's when my father called me.”
Neither man spoke.
Nico looked uncomfortable.
“Boss…”
Adriano held up a hand.
“Where is Matteo now?”
Nico checked his phone.
“He isn't answering.”
The silence became unbearable.
“Find him,” Adriano said.
Nico left immediately.
I stared at the monitor.
“Your brother disappeared at the exact time my father called me.”
“Yes.”
“And you still don't think your family is involved?”
“I didn't say that.”
I turned toward him.
“You said you trusted them.”
“I said I trusted Luca.”
“That isn't the same thing.”
“No.”
His eyes met mine.
“It isn't.”
For the first time, I wondered whether Adriano Vittori trusted anyone at all.
Then another thought occurred to me.
“What about you?”
His brow furrowed.
“What about me?”
“You knew my father was in danger for three days.”
His expression became unreadable.
“You knew people were looking for the ledger.”
“Yes.”
“You knew they might come after me.”
“Yes.”
“You never told me.”
His jaw tightened.
“You're asking whether I was involved.”
“I don't know what I'm asking.”
I swallowed.
“I just know that every time I think I understand something, I discover you've known more than you've told me.”
He stepped closer.
“I've lied to you.”
The admission caught me off guard.
“But not about this.”
“How do I know?”
“You don't.”
His honesty frightened me more than a denial would have.
Before I could answer, Nico returned.
He looked shaken.
“Boss.”
Adriano turned.
“Where's Matteo?”
Nico hesitated.
“We found his car.”
“And?”
“It's abandoned.”
Adriano's eyes hardened.
“Where?”
“Outside the old Vittori estate.”
Something changed in Adriano's face.
“The vault.”
Nico nodded.
“He's gone inside.”
My stomach twisted.
“You said the vault was sealed.”.
“It was.”
“Then how did he get in?”
Adriano didn't answer.
Nico slowly reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a photograph.
“We found this in Matteo's car.”
Adriano took it.
I watched his expression change.
Then he handed it to me.
My breath caught.
It was my father.
Alive.
Standing beside a much younger Matteo Vittori.
And between them was a black metal box.
The same symbol was carved into its lid.
The Black Circle.
I looked at Adriano.
“Why would your brother have a photograph of my father?”
He didn't answer.
I looked back at the photograph.
There was something written on the back.
I turned it over.
Four words.
He knows about the King.
My heart began to pound.
“What does that mean?”
Adriano took the photograph from my hand.
His face had gone completely still.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Speak.”
Nico's voice came through the earpiece.
“Boss, we have another problem.”
Adriano's eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“The east-wing camera just came back online.”
“And?”
Nico swallowed.
“Someone accessed Isabella's room.”
My blood ran cold.
Adriano looked at me.
“Was anything taken?”
A pause.
“No.”
“Then what did they leave?”
Another pause.
“A message.”
“What does it say?”
Nico's voice dropped.
“Ask Adriano why Matteo knows where your father is.”
Adriano said nothing.
Neither did I.
Because for the first time, I wasn't wondering whether someone inside the Vittori family was betraying Adriano.
I was wondering whether Adriano already knew who it was.
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