Shadows Below Deck
1442 Words
Chapter 5
Daisy's POV
The engines of the yacht roared to life again as the guests moved to the lower deck for dancing. I wandered to the upper level for fresh air.
That was when I saw him.
At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks. Then I saw him. Trying to hide himself behind the lifeboats. He looked like a thief in his dark attire. But the way he tilted his head and his posture were familiar. I knew instantly who it was.
It was him. The masked man at the party.
Fear gripped me. But I still braced it and stood there.
I tried to talk, but my voice caught in my throat.
“Who—”
He lifted a finger to his mouth to warn me to keep quiet. Then he varnished.
“Looking for someone?” Before I could shout I heard Lorenzo's voice.
I spun around. Lorenzo was there, his sunglasses pushed up onto his head, his eyes glinting. Again, there was that concern.
“You look pale, Daisy. Seasick?” He stepped closer, too close, his voice dropping low.
“Or is it something else?”
I opened my mouth, but my instincts screamed not to tell him—not yet. Not when he thinks of me as a gold digger.
“Is the masked man an enemy or a saviour?” I thought to myself, confused.
“I’m fine,” I lied, forcing my voice to be steady.
Lorenzo’s gaze lingered on my face, searching, as though he knew I was holding something back.
“Are you sure?”
Before I could answer, some people started shouting below. One of the crewmen ran up the stairs, breathless. His expression was tight with fear.
“Signore Cassano—there’s… There’s a problem with the storage hold. Someone broke the lock.”
When Don Marco and Signora Cassano appeared, their faces looked worried. Don Marco’s eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. His voice was sharp and commanding.
“Handle it discreetly. No need to alarm our guests. Do you understand?” he said to Lorenzo, his tone brooking no argument.
Daisy didn’t miss the flash of fear in Signora's eyes.
Lorenzo’s gaze lingered on his mother's face before he nodded curtly.
"I'll take care of it, Father," his voice sounded reassuring.
As Lorenzo walked away with the crew to start an investigation. With my pulse hammering, I wondered what the masked man was doing in the Cassano yacht.
Was he a thief?
The incident sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was somehow entangled in a web of secrets.
Lorenzo’s POV
“The hatch on the yacht was forced open by someone. Deliberately.” I said in a low tone to my father.
Don Marco leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowing. “You are certain?”
My mother’s hand paused midair, the teacup she was holding trembling before she set it down.
“Positive,” I said. “The lock was picked with precision. Not a random thief—someone who knew what they were doing.”
“This is an in-house job. Because no outsider knows that we keep black diamonds in that place. I want you to further investigate and find out who was responsible for the attempted burglary,” he ordered.
“Make sure you keep it quiet,” he insisted.
My gut twisted. “Father, this has gone too far. The black diamond trade is a curse. I’ve told you before—we should stop before it destroys us.”
I exhaled slowly trying to push my point. “Father, we have to stop this black diamond smuggling business. I have told you several times that it is not worth it,” I stressed.
His cane slammed against the floor. "Don't speak of what you don't know, son. I have told you that this is the business that made our family so wealthy and powerful. My ancestors started it, and I'm not about to stop it,” he barked back.
“Because it's our legacy doesn't mean we should continue with it,” I snapped back.
“I don’t want to hear another word.” His voice thundered, final, immovable. “I don't want to discuss this topic further.”
“I just want you to find the person that did this. And put in place security measures to ensure that there is no further attempt by anybody to steal our goods,” he added, his voice edged with authority.
“Do you understand?”
My fists clenched. But I gave the only answer I could. “Yes, Father.”
Isabella swept into the room, interrupting the meeting, unaware of the gravity of the meeting.
“Lorenzo, darling, you promised to ride with me into town today. Or have you forgotten?” She purred.
My jaw tightened. “Later.” Her interruption annoyed me.
Her smile was brittle. “Strange. You never seem to run out of time for the gold digger.”
“Another time,” I said, my tone clipped.
When the meeting dispersed, I saw Daisy lingering near the terrace doors.
“Curious little Daisy, always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tell me—are you planning to investigate the storage hold break-in yourself? Or do you only chase mysteries when they involve eligible bachelors?”
The implication hung in the air.
“Mock me all you like. Believe me, I was just curious to know who caused the incident on the yacht, just like you,” she surprised me with her answer.
“Careful,” I murmured, stepping closer to her, my shadow brushing hers. “You might almost convince me you’re not here for money.”
“What about you? You and your family are into smuggling. Are you not a slave of money, too?” she lashed back.
“How dare she accuse me of what she knows nothing of.” I thought angrily.
For a heartbeat, the air between us was charged, unsteady—until Isabella’s voice sliced through it.
“Well, what a charming picture.” Isabella swept in. Her gaze flicked between us, cold and sharp.
“Lorenzo,” she purred at me, ignoring Daisy, “you must keep your promise of taking me out. Or has your schedule been… compromised?”
“Or is the gold digger more important?” She turned her challenging glare on Daisy.
Instead of responding, Daisy stormed out.
Daisy's POV
“You look troubled,” Alessandro said softly, handing me a glass of lemonade. He was lounging with some other guests. I had escaped to the garden to have some peace.
“This house has a way of swallowing people whole,” he whispered, almost conspiratorially.
I laughed lightly. “You noticed?”
He leaned closer, his kind eyes focusing on me. “I notice you. And I can’t help wondering if anyone here truly sees you for yourself, not for what you can give.”
“Thank you. I don't know how to answer that. But I appreciate you for your kindness,” I replied, almost blushing.
“It’s unfortunate. But in our world, all we care about is power, wealth and survival. We forget the simple things like listening and kindness,” he said, but his tone implied that he had more to say.
I searched his face for answers, but his expression was unreadable.
I sipped the lemonade to mask my unease.
“Do you know the Cassanos very well?” Something spurred me to ask.
Alessandro chuckled, but there was no humour in it. “Let’s just say my family’s dealings and theirs… cross paths. Business, trade, politics—it’s all the same game, isn’t it?”
I blinked. “You mean shipping?”
“Shipping,” he agreed smoothly.
“Goods that cross borders have a way of telling their own stories. And sometimes, those stories are darker than people want to admit.”
The way he said it made my skin prickle.
I knew at once that his family was probably in charge of the transportation of the black diamonds for the Cassano family.
What a fool I was to think Alessandro was different from them. They were of the same world.
I wanted to ask more, but his gaze flicked upward. I followed it and saw Lorenzo standing on the balcony looking at both of us.
The two men’s gazes locked—silent, fierce, a clash without words. The air seemed to crackle between them.
I again felt like I was somehow entangled in a web of secrets.
- Writer
