THE MAN WHO KNEW ME BEFORE

Chapter 1

Elena Virelli knew something was wrong when her father asked her to come home before midnight. It was not the request itself that struck her as strange. Her father had always had his own way of running things in this house. But in all twenty seven years of her life, Elena had never received a call from Lorenzo Virelli in such a calm voice when something was clearly out of the ordinary.

“Come to my room as soon as you get here.”

That was all he had said. No explanation. No details. And what bothered her most was that her father never used that tone unless something serious was happening.

Elena stared at her phone for a few seconds before slipping it into her bag. Her car left the center of Aurelia City and entered West End. The city lights gradually disappeared behind the tall trees lining the road. Grand houses stood behind iron gates, hidden away from the increasingly crowded life of the city.

The Virelli family home stood at the end of the road. The stately house had been Elena’s home since childhood, with its pale stone walls, tall windows, sprawling gardens, and an old fountain in the front yard that always reminded her of being a child.

That night, however, the house looked different. Two black cars were parked near the entrance. A man she had never seen before stood by the gate. Elena slowed as she stepped out of her car. The man immediately lowered his head.

“Miss Virelli.”

Elena studied him for a moment.

“Who are you?”

The man did not answer. He simply opened the door for her. Something inside Elena immediately went on alert. She walked in without saying thank you. The moment the door closed behind her, she realized the house was much quieter than usual.

There was no television playing in the family room. No music coming from the dining room. Even the household staff, who usually worked well into the night, were nowhere to be seen. Elena took off her long coat and handed it to one of the maids.

“What’s going on?”

The maid lowered her head.

“Mr. Lorenzo is waiting for you in his room.”

Elena nodded and made her way down the long hallway toward her father’s study. With every step, the uneasiness in her chest grew stronger. When she reached the door, she knocked twice.

“Come in.”

Elena opened the door. Her father stood by the window with both hands in his trouser pockets. Several folders lay scattered across the desk, along with an open laptop and a glass of liquor that looked untouched since it had been poured. Lorenzo Virelli did not turn around immediately.

“Dad.”

“Elena.”

“What happened?”

Lorenzo walked toward the desk.

“Sit down.”

“I’d rather stand.”

“Elena.”

“You called me home without explaining anything. There’s a stranger guarding the gate, and now the whole house feels like everyone is waiting for something to happen. So if this is about the company, just tell me.”

Lorenzo stared at his daughter for a long moment.

“We lost our main contracts.”

Elena frowned. “Which ones?”

“All of them.”

The room suddenly felt colder. “What do you mean?”

Lorenzo pushed one of the folders toward her. Elena picked it up. Inside were copies of termination notices from three major companies that had been Virelli House’s most important partners for years. She read the first page, then the second.

“This can’t be real.”

“It already happened.”

“They couldn’t cancel everything in a single day.”

“They did.”

Elena looked up. “Why?”

Lorenzo said nothing. He simply looked at his daughter. And the answer he refused to give her was far worse than anything he could have said.

“Who did this?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Elena let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You never say you don’t know.”

“Because I really don’t know.”

“How much have we lost?”

“If we don’t find a new investor within thirty days, Virelli House will lose control of most of its assets.”

Elena froze. “Thirty days?”

Lorenzo nodded.

“And after that?”

“Someone else will take over.”

“Who?”

Lorenzo’s gaze fell on the last folder still sitting on the desk.

“Voss Capital.”