THE DEVIL'S HEIRESS

Chapter 19 - The Bait

The receptionist's words echoed in Sienna's mind.

*"He said... if you want the truth... come alone."*

She remained seated for several seconds, staring at the receiver in her hand.

Something didn't feel right.

Whoever the man was...

He knew about Falcon Freight.

Or at least wanted her to believe he did.

She stood and slipped her blazer back on.

Before leaving, she opened the top drawer of her desk and took out her phone.

Her finger hovered over Kai's contact.

She remembered the message.

*"Come alone."*

She almost put the phone away.

Almost.

Instead...

She typed a short text.

**Going downstairs. Meeting someone claiming to have information about Falcon Freight. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, come looking for me.**

She pressed send.

A second later...

Kai replied.

**I'm on my way back. Wait for me.**

Sienna smiled faintly.

Too late.

She was already stepping into the elevator.

...

The lobby was nearly empty.

Most employees had gone home.

Only the reception desk remained occupied.

The receptionist stood as soon as she saw Sienna.

"Miss De Luca."

"The gentleman is waiting outside."

"Did he leave his name?"

She shook her head.

"No."

"He refused."

"He only said the information was sensitive."

Sienna nodded.

"Thank you."

She pushed through the revolving glass doors.

A cool evening breeze greeted her.

The streets were wet from the afternoon rain.

Across the road...

A man stood beneath a streetlamp.

He wore a dark coat and a black cap that shadowed most of his face.

The moment he saw Sienna...

He turned and began walking.

Not toward her.

Away.

She frowned.

"Excuse me."

He didn't answer.

Instead...

He continued walking.

After a few seconds...

He glanced over his shoulder.

"If you want answers..."

His voice was low.

"...follow me."

Then he disappeared into a narrow side street.

Sienna hesitated.

Every instinct told her to stop.

But if he truly knew something...

This might be the only chance.

She followed.

...

The alley was narrow and quiet.

Old brick buildings rose on either side.

The sounds of traffic faded behind her.

The man stopped beside an abandoned café.

He finally turned to face her.

"You came."

"You said you had information."

"I do."

He reached into his coat.

Sienna instinctively tensed.

Instead of a weapon...

He pulled out a brown envelope.

He held it out.

"Take it."

She didn't move.

"What is it?"

"Proof."

"Proof of what?"

"Falcon Freight."

She slowly accepted the envelope.

Inside...

Were copies of financial transfers.

Corporate registrations.

And one photograph.

Her eyes narrowed.

The photograph showed Adrian entering an underground parking garage.

Another man waited beside a black SUV.

The date...

Was three days ago.

"What is this?"

The stranger looked around cautiously.

"Someone inside your company is setting you up."

"I don't know everything."

"But I know enough."

"Who are you?"

He smiled bitterly.

"A man who made the mistake of working for the wrong people."

Before Sienna could ask another question...

The sound of tires screeching echoed through the alley.

A black van sped around the corner.

The stranger's face immediately changed.

"Damn it."

"They found me."

The van stopped abruptly.

Its side door slid open.

Three masked men jumped out.

"Run!"

The stranger shouted.

Without thinking...

He shoved the envelope into Sienna's hands.

"Don't let them take that!"

He turned and sprinted toward the opposite end of the alley.

Two men chased him.

The third looked directly at Sienna.

"There!"

"Get her!"

For the first time in years...

Sienna ran.

Her heels echoed sharply against the wet pavement.

She turned one corner.

Then another.

Behind her...

Heavy footsteps grew closer.

The envelope slipped from her grasp.

Papers scattered across the rain-soaked ground.

"No..."

She stopped instinctively to grab them.

A hand reached toward her shoulder—

Suddenly...

Someone slammed into the masked man from the side.

The attacker crashed into a stack of metal bins.

"What the—"

Kai.

Breathing heavily.

"You really don't listen, do you?"

Sienna stared.

"You came."

"You honestly thought I'd let you walk into something like this alone?"

Another masked man charged toward them.

Kai shoved Sienna behind him.

"Run to the main road!"

"What about you?"

"I'll manage!"

Before either of them could move...

The deep growl of another engine filled the alley.

A sleek black Lamborghini skidded to a stop at the entrance.

Its headlights flooded the narrow street.

The driver's door flew open.

Alex stepped out.

His expression was colder than either of them had ever seen.

His eyes swept over the scene.

The scattered documents.

The masked men.

Kai standing protectively in front of Sienna.

Without a word...

Alex removed his suit jacket and tossed it onto the car.

He loosened the cuffs of his shirt.

Then looked at the three men.

"You picked..."

He said quietly.

"...the wrong woman."

The alley fell silent.

Even the masked men hesitated.

None of them knew...

That the calm man standing before them was far more dangerous than he looked.

_____

The alley fell into complete silence.

Rainwater dripped from the rusted fire escapes above.

The three masked men glanced at one another before looking back at Alex.

He stood with one hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket.

His expensive watch caught the light from the Lamborghini's headlights.

There wasn't a trace of panic on his face.

Only irritation.

As though someone had interrupted his evening.

Kai frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

Alex didn't look at him.

"I was looking for her."

Sienna blinked.

"...Looking for me?"

Marco stepped out of the passenger seat, holding his phone.

"We traced a call made to your office."

He looked at Sienna.

"Our cybersecurity team intercepted unusual network activity connected to Falcon Freight."

"We suspected someone might contact you."

Alex finally looked at Sienna.

"I didn't expect you to actually come alone."

She remained silent.

Kai answered for her.

"She didn't."

"I came after her."

Alex gave Kai a brief nod.

"Good."

One of the masked men suddenly shouted.

"Forget them!"

"Take the envelope!"

The three men rushed forward.

Kai instinctively moved in front of Sienna.

Alex stepped forward at the same time.

"Marco."

"Call the police."

"It's already done, sir."

The first attacker reached Alex.

Before anyone could react—

Alex caught the man's wrist.

Twisted.

The attacker cried out in pain.

With one quick movement, Alex shoved him backward into another masked man.

The two crashed into a dumpster.

Kai stared.

"...You're kidding."

Alex glanced at him.

"I played rugby in university."

"I wasn't always sitting behind a desk."

The third attacker lunged toward Sienna.

Without thinking, Kai grabbed a loose metal barrier leaning against the wall and shoved it into the man's path.

The attacker stumbled.

Sienna quickly stepped backward.

The brown envelope nearly slipped from her hands again.

"No..."

She held it tightly against her chest.

One of the fallen men pulled out a folding knife.

Marco immediately shouted,

"Sir!"

Alex's expression hardened.

"Bad decision."

Before the attacker could move another step...

Police sirens echoed through the streets.

Blue lights flashed at the entrance of the alley.

The masked men froze.

"Cops!"

"Move!"

Without another word, they abandoned the fight.

The three men sprinted back toward the van.

Its tires screeched against the wet pavement before disappearing into the night.

Silence returned.

Only the distant sound of sirens remained.

Kai exhaled heavily.

"...That could've gone much worse."

Marco nodded.

"It almost did."

Alex slowly turned toward Sienna.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"No."

"You?"

"I'm fine."

His eyes swept over her one more time, checking for injuries.

Satisfied...

He finally relaxed.

Moments later, two police officers entered the alley.

One of them approached.

"Is everyone alright?"

Marco stepped forward.

"My name is Marco Ricci."

"Executive assistant to Mr. Alex Bellucci."

"The attackers fled north in a black van."

"The license plate was partially covered."

The officers began questioning everyone.

While Kai explained what had happened...

Sienna quietly opened the envelope again.

The documents were soaked around the edges.

But most were still readable.

She froze.

There was another photograph she hadn't noticed before.

This one showed Adrian.

Clearly.

Standing beside the mysterious man she'd just met.

The date stamp read...

Two months ago.

Alex noticed the change in her expression.

"What is it?"

Without saying a word...

She handed him the photograph.

His jaw tightened.

"So..."

He murmured.

"It really is him."

Kai walked over.

"What did you find?"

Alex handed him the picture.

Kai's eyes widened.

"Adrian?"

"Impossible..."

"No."

Sienna said quietly.

"Not impossible."

"Just unexpected."

For several seconds...

None of them spoke.

Finally, one of the officers returned.

"We've searched the surrounding streets."

"No sign of the witness."

"The man who gave you the envelope is gone."

Sienna looked toward the end of the alley.

Empty.

He had vanished.

Almost as though he'd never been there.

...

An hour later...

The four of them sat inside a private meeting room at Bellucci International's Milan office.

Marco had insisted it was safer than returning immediately to De Luca Holdings.

The documents lay spread across the conference table.

Alex carefully studied every page.

"These financial transfers..."

He pointed to one line.

"They lead to one of the shell companies."

Marco nodded.

"And the shell company connects to Falcon Freight."

Kai frowned.

"But there's still nothing directly linking Adrian."

Sienna picked up the photograph again.

"There doesn't need to be."

The three men looked at her.

She continued,

"This picture wasn't meant to prove Adrian owns Falcon Freight."

"It proves..."

"...he lied."

Alex leaned back slightly.

"Explain."

"He told the board he knew nothing."

"But if this photograph is genuine..."

"He met one of Falcon Freight's organizers months ago."

Kai slowly nodded.

"So..."

"We don't have proof he's guilty."

"But we do have proof..."

"...that he hasn't been telling the truth."

"Exactly."

For the first time that evening...

A small smile appeared on Alex's face.

"Miss De Luca."

She looked at him.

"I believe we've finally found the crack in his armor."

Before anyone could respond...

Marco's phone rang.

He answered immediately.

A few seconds later...

His face drained of color.

"Sir..."

Alex stood.

"What happened?"

Marco looked at everyone in the room.

"The police found the black van."

Kai sighed in relief.

"Good."

Marco swallowed hard.

"It was abandoned."

"And..."

He hesitated.

"There was blood inside."

"The witness..."

"...may not have escaped."

The room fell silent.

Sienna slowly tightened her grip on the photograph.

If the only person willing to expose the truth had disappeared...

Then Adrian had just become even more dangerous than they imagined.