CHAPTER 6 THE NIGHT LILY DISAPPEARED
The first explosion knocked Adrian off his feet.
He hit the concrete hard.
Pain ripped through his injured shoulder.
For half a second, there was nothing but ringing in his ears.
Then instinct took over.
“Vincent!”
“I'm here!”
Gunfire erupted from the far side of the warehouse.
Muzzle flashes cut through the darkness.
Adrian rolled behind a steel support beam.
Cross was gone.
“Where is Cross?”
No answer.
Adrian looked toward the table.
The chair was overturned.
The envelope was gone.
So was Daniel Cross.
“Find him!”
Vincent shouted to his men.
Adrian pulled his weapon.
His shoulder screamed in protest.
He ignored it.
Three armed men rushed through the broken warehouse doors.
Vincent's security team returned fire.
One attacker dropped.
Another disappeared behind a stack of crates.
The third ran toward the rear exit.
Adrian moved after him.
“Boss!”
Vincent grabbed his arm.
“Your shoulder!”
“Let go.”
“You're bleeding.”
“I don't care.”
“You will if your heart decides to stop.”
Adrian turned.
His eyes were ice.
“Then keep up.”
He broke free.
They moved through the warehouse.
The attacker reached the rear door.
Adrian fired once.
The man's weapon flew from his hand.
Vincent tackled him.
Within seconds, the man was on the floor.
Adrian approached.
“Who sent you?”
The man smiled.
“You're already too late.”
Adrian crouched.
“For what?”
The man's eyes moved toward the photograph in Adrian's hand.
“Her.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“Who?”
The man laughed.
“The little girl.”
Adrian grabbed his collar.
“What did you do?”
The attacker's smile widened.
“Nothing.”
A beat.
“Yet.”
Then he bit down.
Vincent reacted immediately.
“Poison!”
The man convulsed.
Adrian released him.
Within seconds, he was dead.
Adrian stared at the body.
Vincent checked for a pulse.
“Gone.”
Adrian looked toward the warehouse entrance.
The photograph was still in his hand.
His mother.
A little girl.
A secret older than Lily.
And now someone was talking about his daughter.
“Call the house.”
Vincent was already reaching for his phone.
The call connected.
“Security.”
“Put Sarah on.”
A pause.
Then:
“Mr. Moretti…”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“What?”
“There's been an incident.”
His stomach dropped.
“What incident?”
“Your house.”
“Talk.”
“Someone tried to breach the east perimeter.”
“Is Sarah safe?”
Silence.
Adrian's blood turned cold.
“Is Sarah safe?”
“We lost visual contact with the house for ninety seconds.”
“Ninety seconds?”
“Yes.”
“And Lily?”
Another pause.
“Mr. Moretti…”
Adrian's voice became deadly.
“Where is my daughter?”
The security officer swallowed.
“We can't find her.”
Everything stopped.
The gunfire.
The warehouse.
The pain.
The city.
Everything.
Adrian heard only one sentence.
We can't find her.
He turned toward Vincent.
“Get the cars.”
Vincent was already moving.
The drive back to Manhattan was less than twenty minutes.
Adrian experienced every second of it as an eternity.
Vincent drove.
Two armored SUVs followed.
Adrian sat in the passenger seat, his phone pressed against his ear.
“Call Sarah.”
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
“Try the house.”
“Already doing it.”
“Security?”
“Half the team is down.”
“Down?”
“Two injured. One unconscious. One missing.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Who was inside?”
“Four guards.”
“And Sarah?”
“Unknown.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
His heart began racing.
He could feel it.
That irregular flutter the doctor had warned him about.
He placed two fingers against his neck.
Too fast.
Too irregular.
Vincent noticed.
“Boss.”
“Keep driving.”
“Your heart—”
“Keep driving.”
Adrian opened his eyes.
“Nothing happens to Lily.”
Vincent's voice was firm.
“Nothing will.”
“You don't know that.”
“No.”
Vincent looked at him through the rearview mirror.
“But I'll die before I let anyone take her.”
Adrian looked out the window.
“So will I.”
The house looked like a battlefield.
A security vehicle sat sideways across the driveway.
One gate was destroyed.
Glass covered the front steps.
A black SUV had crashed through the hedges.
Adrian was out before Vincent had fully stopped.
“Sarah!”
No answer.
He ran inside.
“Sarah!”
The living room was empty.
Furniture overturned.
A lamp broken.
Blood on the floor.
Adrian's breathing stopped.
“Vincent.”
“I see it.”
They followed the blood trail.
It ended near the kitchen.
One of the guards was lying unconscious.
Alive.
Adrian crouched beside him.
“Who did this?”
The man opened his eyes.
“Three…”
His voice was weak.
“Three men.”
“Where's Sarah?”
“Upstairs.”
Adrian ran.
The master bedroom door was open.
Empty.
Bathroom.
Empty.
Closet.
Empty.
Then—
A sound.
A child's toy playing from the hallway.
Adrian froze.
Mr. Buttons.
The bear was lying on the floor.
One button eye missing.
Adrian picked it up.
“No.”
Vincent reached him.
“Boss…”
Adrian stared at the toy.
“She's gone.”
Sarah woke with a pounding headache.
Her hands were tied.
Her eyes were covered.
She couldn't move.
The room smelled like damp concrete.
She tried to remember what happened.
The bedroom.
A crash.
Someone shouting.
Lily screaming.
Then darkness.
Sarah's heart hammered.
“Lily?”
No answer.
“Lily!”
A voice came from the darkness.
“She's alive.”
Sarah froze.
“Who are you?”
A chair scraped against the floor.
Someone sat across from her.
“You don't remember me.”
“I don't care who you are.”
Sarah struggled against the restraints.
“Where is my daughter?”
“She is safe.”
“Let me see her.”
“Not yet.”
Sarah's breathing became ragged.
“If you hurt her—”
“We won't.”
“Then why am I here?”
The man leaned closer.
“Because Adrian Moretti is about to learn the truth.”
Sarah froze.
“What truth?”
“The truth you helped bury.”
Her blood ran cold.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
The man laughed.
“You really believe that?”
Sarah said nothing.
“You know about the second girl.”
Her face changed.
The man noticed.
“There it is.”
“What girl?”
“The one Marco Moretti took.”
Sarah's eyes filled with fear.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand everything.”
“No.”
Sarah shook her head.
“You don't know what happened.”
“Then tell me.”
She swallowed.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because she's alive.”
Silence.
The man leaned closer.
“Where?”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“I don't know.”
“Who does?”
Sarah didn't answer.
The man stood.
“You're going to tell me.”
“I can't.”
“You will.”
He walked away.
Then Sarah heard something.
A small voice.
“Mommy?”
Her entire body went rigid.
“Lily!”
A door opened.
Footsteps.
Then her daughter's voice again.
“Mommy!”
Sarah began crying.
“Lily, I'm here!”
“Mommy!”
The man returned.
“She's safe.”
“Let me see her!”
“You will.”
“When?”
“When Adrian gives us what we want.”
“What?”
“The photograph.”
Sarah's blood ran cold.
“What photograph?”
“The one he found in his father's office.”
She closed her eyes.
They knew.
Everything.
Adrian stood inside Lily's bedroom.
He had been there for ten minutes.
He hadn't moved.
The room looked almost untouched.
Her bed.
Her books.
Her crayons.
Her yellow backpack.
A drawing pinned to the wall.
The faceless father.
Adrian walked toward it.
The drawing was different now.
The man had a face.
But the face was incomplete.
One eye.
Half a mouth.
A line for the nose.
Adrian stared.
Lily had started drawing his face.
And someone had taken her before she could finish.
He touched the paper.
His hand trembled.
“I'll find you.”
Vincent stood behind him.
“We found the vehicle.”
Adrian turned.
“Where?”
“Six blocks away.”
“Empty?”
“Yes.”
“Cameras?”
“Disabled.”
“Witnesses?”
“One.”
“Who?”
“A delivery driver.”
“What did he see?”
“Two men carrying something.”
“Something?”
Vincent hesitated.
“A child.”
Adrian's eyes darkened.
“Description?”
“Girl. Yellow jacket.”
Adrian's hand clenched.
“Direction?”
“East.”
“Get every camera from here to the river.”
“We're already pulling traffic feeds.”
“Every bridge.”
“Yes.”
“Every tunnel.”
“Yes.”
“Ports.”
“Yes.”
“Airports.”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at him.
“I want every license plate in Manhattan checked against that vehicle.”
Vincent nodded.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Russo.”
A pause.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He looked at Adrian.
“We have a location.”
The warehouse stood beside the river.
Abandoned.
No lights.
No cars.
No visible guards.
Adrian stared at it from across the street.
“Too easy.”
Vincent nodded.
“Definitely.”
“Where's the team?”
“Two blocks out.”
“Good.”
Adrian opened the car door.
Vincent grabbed him.
“Wait.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Your heart.”
“I know.”
“You're going in injured.”
“My daughter is inside.”
“We don't know that.”
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“Then I'll find out.”
Vincent sighed.
“You're impossible.”
Adrian stepped out.
“So I've been told.”
The warehouse was empty.
Completely empty.
No Lily.
No Sarah.
No attackers.
Nothing.
Except a chair.
And a television.
The screen turned on.
Adrian stopped.
A video began.
Lily.
She was sitting on a chair.
Her face was frightened.
But she wasn't crying.
Someone stood behind her.
Only a shoulder was visible.
A man's voice came through the speakers.
“Hello, Adrian.”
Adrian's blood froze.
“You have something we want.”
The camera moved closer to Lily.
She looked directly at it.
“Daddy?”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Lily!”
The screen went black.
Then the voice returned.
“You have twenty-four hours.”
A photograph appeared.
The same photograph of Adrian's mother and the mysterious girl.
“Bring this to the old Moretti estate.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Come alone.”
Vincent cursed.
“That's not happening.”
The voice continued.
“If you bring your men…”
Another image appeared.
Sarah.
Bound.
Alive.
Then another.
Lily.
Alive.
Adrian's face went cold.
“Who are you?”
The screen displayed one final image.
Daniel Cross.
Then:
YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE WRONG MAN.
The screen went black.
Adrian stood motionless.
Vincent looked at him.
“They want the photograph.”
“No.”
Adrian stared at the screen.
“They want something else.”
“What?”
“Me.”
Twenty-three hours remained.
Adrian returned to the house.
He sat alone in his office.
The photograph lay on the desk.
His mother's face stared back at him.
Beside her stood the mysterious girl.
Twenty-eight years old.
His sister.
His daughter.
Someone else's child.
Nothing made sense.
Then Adrian noticed something.
The girl was wearing a pendant.
A small silver cross.
Adrian recognized it.
He had seen it before.
On Lily.
The pendant Sarah had given her on her fifth birthday.
Adrian picked up the photograph.
The pendant was identical.
Same shape.
Same tiny engraving.
Three letters.
M.M.
Marco Moretti.
His father.
Adrian's breathing slowed.
The girl in the photograph had his father's pendant.
Lily had the same pendant.
Why?
He called Sarah.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then his phone vibrated.
A message.
LOOK IN THE DRAWER.
Adrian stared at it.
He walked toward his desk.
Opened the bottom drawer.
Nothing.
Second.
Nothing.
Third.
Nothing.
Then he noticed a false bottom.
He pried it open.
Inside was a small envelope.
His mother's handwriting.
Adrian stared at the name.
ADRIAN.
His hands trembled.
He opened it.
One sheet of paper.
Only a few lines.
My son,
If you ever find this, it means the secret failed.
The girl you know as Lily is not the only child who belongs to you.
The other girl is the reason your father died.
Adrian stopped.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
He read the next line.
And Sarah knows where she is.
He stared at the final sentence.
Do not trust Daniel Cross.
Adrian lowered the paper.
For the first time since Lily disappeared, he felt something worse than fear.
Betrayal.
Sarah knew.
She had always known.
Or at least known more than she had admitted.
And now his daughter was being held because of a secret Sarah had kept from him.
Adrian stood.
Vincent entered.
“We have movement.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Where?”
“Three cars leaving Brooklyn.”
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
Adrian folded the letter.
“Cancel the estate meeting.”
Vincent stared.
“What?”
“They expect me to go.”
“Yes.”
“That's why I won't.”
Vincent nodded slowly.
“Then what?”
Adrian looked toward the photograph.
“We make them come to us.”
Across the river, Sarah sat beside Lily.
Both were still restrained.
Lily's face was pale.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Is Daddy coming?”
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
“Will he find us?”
Sarah looked at her daughter.
Then she whispered:
“He always finds what he loves.”
Lily smiled.
“I knew he would.”
A door opened.
The man with the scar entered.
Lily immediately became frightened.
Sarah pulled her closer.
The man looked at the child.
Then at Sarah.
“Your time is almost up.”
Sarah stared at him.
“Who are you?”
He smiled.
“Someone your family should have killed twenty-eight years ago.”
Lily looked at him.
Then suddenly frowned.
She stared at the scar on his neck.
Her expression changed.
“Mommy.”
Sarah looked down.
“What?”
“I know him.”
The man's smile disappeared.
Lily pointed.
“He was in my dream.”
Sarah's blood froze.
The man stepped forward.
Lily whispered:
“He's the man who told me Daddy was hiding.”
Sarah stared at him.
The scarred man smiled.
“Children remember more than adults think.”
Then he pulled out his phone.
“Call Moretti.”
Adrian's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Moretti.”
A child's voice came through.
“Daddy?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Lily.”
“Daddy, I'm scared.”
His heart broke.
“I'm coming.”
“Mommy is here.”
“I know.”
“There's a man.”
“I know.”
“He has the scar.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“Listen to me, Lily.”
“Okay.”
“Whatever happens, stay beside Mommy.”
“Okay.”
“Don't go anywhere.”
“Okay.”
“And Lily?”
“Yes?”
Adrian swallowed.
“I love you.”
Silence.
Then a tiny voice:
“I love you too, Daddy.”
The call ended.
Adrian stood motionless.
Vincent looked at him.
“What now?”
Adrian picked up his coat.
“We stop running.”
“Boss?”
“They've had my daughter.”
His eyes became cold.
“They've had Sarah.”
He checked his weapon.
“Now they have my attention.”
Vincent nodded.
Adrian walked toward the door.
Then his phone vibrated again.
One final message.
A photograph.
Lily asleep.
Sarah beside her.
And behind them—
a woman standing in the shadows.
An older woman.
Gray hair.
Dark eyes.
Adrian stared at the photograph.
He knew that face.
His mother.
Alive.
The message beneath it contained only four words:
SHE WANTS TO SEE YOU.
Adrian's heart began pounding.
For seventeen years, he had believed his mother was dead.
Now she was standing in a photograph taken tonight.
And she was looking directly at the camera.
As if she had known Adrian would eventually come looking for her.
As if she had been waiting.
Adrian slowly lowered the phone.
Vincent stared at him.
“Boss?”
Adrian's voice was barely audible.
“My mother is alive.”
And somewhere in a dark room across the city, the woman Adrian had buried in his heart seventeen years ago smiled at the camera.
Beside her stood Lily.
And behind them stood the man with the scar.
The war had changed.
This was no longer about Volkov.
No longer about the port.
No longer about Adrian's empire.
May you like
It was about a family secret that had survived for twenty-eight years.
And Adrian Moretti was finally close enough to uncover it.
