Chapter 8 - Gregory Vale
Luca sank into a chair and drank an entire glass of water without stopping.
“Twenty-two years ago, Dad’s crew went to war with the Vale family over the ports.”
“What happened?”
“Most of the Vales were killed or disappeared. Their youngest son, Gregory, vanished after a courthouse hearing.”
Valeria held up the photograph. “And he came back wearing our name.”
Luca nodded.
“Dad found out two years ago. He called me. Said Gregory had married you to get inside the family.”
“You knew?”
“I knew Dad suspected him. I didn’t know Gregory had actually been born a Vale until tonight.”
“Why did you sign the petition?”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“Gregory showed me photos of Noah leaving school. Alone. He said people from the old Vale network were watching him and that the only way to keep Noah safe was to move temporary custody away from you because you were the public face of the family.”
Valeria laughed without humor.
“And you believed him.”
“I wanted to.”
“No. You wanted control.”
Luca looked away.
That was confession enough.
Tomas asked, “Who grabbed you in the tunnel?”
“A man named Victor Sanz. Gregory’s partner.”
Valeria knew the name. Victor ran three shipping unions and hated the Romanos.
“He said Gregory had failed and told me I had one chance to fix it.”
“How?”
“Bring Maya to the old river warehouse.”
Maya went still.
“Because I’m trustee.”
“Yes.”
“Gregory is still locked in the study. Serena is restrained. Victor is outside. That means someone inside the estate is still feeding him information.”
Tomas checked his radio.
Static.
Then one of his guards shouted from the corridor.
“Sir!”
They ran to the study.
The door was open.
The guard on duty lay unconscious.
Gregory was gone.
May you like
On the desk, written in blood from the guard’s split lip, were four words:
BRING MAYA OR NOAH DIES.
