Chapter 3
632 Words
CHAPTER THREE
THE MAN WHO HAD TOO MANY SECRETS
Lina woke up to the smell of coffee and the unmistakable sound of something hitting the kitchen floor.
She shot upright.
“Victor?”
Silence.
Then a muffled curse.
Lina scrambled out of bed and hurried into the kitchen, only to find Victor standing beside the counter, staring down at a shattered coffee mug.
She stopped.
He looked at her.
She looked at the mug.
Then at him again.
“You're a billionaire mafia boss and you can't hold a mug?”
Victor's eyebrows rose. “Who told you I'm a mafia boss?”
Lina blinked.
He blinked back.
“Interesting,” she said slowly.
Victor sighed.
“I meant—”
“No, no. Don't ruin this for me.” She pointed at the broken mug. “I just witnessed evidence.”
“Evidence of what?”
“Your secret criminal empire.”
His expression went flat.
Lina grinned.
“Got you.”
“You're enjoying this too much.”
“Absolutely.”
Victor crouched to pick up the pieces.
Lina immediately grabbed a dish towel. “Leave it. You'll cut yourself.”
“I can handle broken glass.”
“I know. You probably have an entire army of people who handle broken glass for you.”
“Just one.”
She paused.
“One what?”
“Person.”
“Victor.”
He smiled.
Lina narrowed her eyes.
He was doing it again.
That irritating little smile whenever she got close to something he didn't want to explain.
She handed him the towel.
“Fine. Keep your secrets.”
“I don't have that many.”
She glanced around the enormous apartment.
Two security men were visible through the glass doors downstairs.
Another stood near the elevator.
A black SUV had been parked outside since yesterday.
Lina slowly looked back at him.
“Sure.”
Victor laughed.
It was the first time she'd heard him laugh properly.
Lina hated how much she liked it.
Later that afternoon, Victor left for a meeting.
Lina stood at the window as his car disappeared down the street.
She was about to turn away when she noticed something.
A second car followed him.
Then a third.
Her smile disappeared.
That wasn't normal.
Lina grabbed her phone.
She hesitated before calling him.
Victor answered on the second ring.
“Everything okay?”
“Why are there three cars following you?”
Silence.
Lina frowned.
“Victor?”
“Where are you?”
“Your apartment.”
“Inside?”
“Obviously.”
Another pause.
Then his voice softened.
“They're with me.”
“Your security?”
“Yes.”
Lina looked toward the street again.
“Why do you need that much security for a meeting?”
Victor exhaled.
“It's complicated.”
“That's becoming your favorite phrase.”
“I know.”
She heard voices in the background.
Then a door closing.
Victor's tone changed.
“I'll explain when I get home.”
Lina smiled faintly.
“Promise?”
A beat.
“Promise.”
The call ended.
Lina lowered her phone.
She wanted to believe him.
She really did.
But something had shifted.
For the first time since leaving home, Lina wasn't wondering whether her father had been wrong about Victor.
She was wondering whether he'd simply been right about something Victor wasn't ready to tell her.
And somewhere across the city, Victor Leonardo stepped into a private meeting room.
The warmth disappeared from his face.
A man at the table immediately stood.
“Boss.”
Victor took off his watch and placed it beside his phone.
“Tell me why someone has been following my wife.”
Lina had no idea.
Victor had just discovered that someone was already watching her.
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