Chapter 19 - What Maya Kept
Maya met them at the estate just before sunrise.
She looked exhausted, but when Valeria asked about the hidden room camera, she did not pretend ignorance.
“Yes,” Maya said. “Carlo installed it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know whether the system still worked.”
She led Valeria into Carlo’s old study and removed a framed photograph from the wall.
Behind it was a small digital recorder connected to a private hard drive.
“Carlo wired the panic room after he caught Gregory using it for private meetings.”
Tomas connected the drive.
There it was.
The hidden-room video appeared.
Gregory dragging Noah inside.
Noah crying.
Gregory kneeling in front of him.
“You stay here until after midnight.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother is going to sign papers, and I can’t have you saying stupid things.”
“I want Mom.”
Gregory grabbed his shoulders.
“Your mother won’t be your problem much longer.”
Valeria’s breath stopped.
Then Gregory looked directly toward the hidden camera.
Directly.
He knew exactly where it was.
He walked over and tried to disable it.
That was why he had gone pale in the ballroom when Noah’s bear appeared on the screen.
He knew Carlo had wired the room.
He knew there might be a second recording.
And he knew his own face had been captured before Noah ever spoke.
“There’s more.”
The video continued.
Gregory made a call after locking Noah inside.
“Luca signed. Serena is ready. At midnight, Valeria goes down, the petition goes live, and I take the boy.”
A man answered.
Not Victor.
A different voice.
Older. Controlled.
Valeria recognized it immediately.
One of her father’s oldest capos, Anthony Moretti.
He was still at the estate.
Still downstairs.
Still pretending to be loyal.
May you like
Tomas reached for his radio.
Before he could speak, a gunshot exploded from the first floor.
