“Dad Said I’m the Housekeeper’s Daughter”—Then Grandpa Found the Paper That Could Destroy Them All

Archive 17 was in the basement of Bellini Private Holdings headquarters, three miles from the theater.

By midnight, Elsie and Rosa were safe at Cesare's townhouse. He refused to let Julian inside.

"Dad, I need to talk to her."

"You had months to talk to her. Tonight she needs to sleep."

"I'm still her father."

Cesare's voice dropped. "Then earn the word back."

At headquarters, Cesare met Marta and corporate security director Nate Briggs. Archive 17 sat behind a steel door in the basement. The brass key opened it.

Inside were shelves of obsolete contracts and accounting records.

"No camera?" Cesare asked.

Nate shook his head. "This room sits in a blind spot. Old building design."

"Convenient."

They searched for twenty minutes.

Nothing.

Then Marta noticed dust missing from one shelf.

"A box was here recently."

Cesare crouched. On the floor was a tiny strip of pink paper.

Crayon marks.

Elsie's.

He picked it up.

"She was here."

Nate frowned. "How would a seven-year-old get into a locked basement archive?"

Cesare called Rosa.

She answered immediately.

"Is Elsie awake?"

"Yes. She keeps asking if you found her flower paper."

Cesare put the phone on speaker.

"Elsie, sweetheart, have you ever been in Grandpa's company basement?"

"No."

"Did somebody give you paper from a box?"

A pause.

"Uncle Ethan did."

Cesare looked at Marta.

Elsie continued. "He came to Dad's office yesterday. He had a brown box. Papers fell out. He told me I could use the old ones for flowers because they were garbage."

"Did he say where he was taking the box?"

"He said Vanessa wanted it before the wedding."

Cesare's stomach tightened.

Marta whispered, "The wedding is Saturday."

Three days away.

Then Nate's radio cracked.

"Security to Briggs. We found someone in the underground garage. Female. Says she knows where Ethan is."

Cesare asked, "Who?"