Chapter 4 - The Secret Hidden in the Payroll
By sunrise, Elena's fever had dropped two degrees.
By noon, Adrien's accountants had uncovered theft.
By evening, they uncovered betrayal.
It started with twenty-seven thousand dollars.
Small by Romano standards.
Almost invisible.
A collection of payroll deductions diverted through shell companies.
Then came seventy-four thousand.
Then one hundred twelve.
Then an offshore transfer tied to Caldwell's nephew.
Adrien sat in his office with three accountants, his attorney, and Marco Bellini, the security chief who had been beside him since they were teenagers.
Marco placed a photograph on the desk.
"This is worse."
Adrien looked down.
Caldwell stood outside a restaurant with Victor Sanz.
Adrien's expression hardened.
Victor was not merely an enemy.
He had been connected to the ambush seven years earlier.
The ambush that killed Adrien's father.
The attack that had nearly killed Adrien.
The betrayal his former fiancée had helped arrange.
"Date?"
"Five months ago."
"Are there others?"
Marco placed three more images down.
Different locations.
Same men.
Adrien stared.
"What was he selling?"
"Schedules, probably."
Adrien slowly leaned back.
The irony was brutal.
He had spent years turning the mansion into a fortress.
Yet the man controlling staff schedules had been feeding information outside.
"Bring Caldwell back."
"We released him pending the investigation."
Adrien looked up sharply.
"Find him."
Marco immediately understood.
Ten minutes later his phone rang.
Caldwell's residence was empty.
His car was gone.
His bank account had been cleared.
Adrien stood.
"Lock the estate."
Marco nodded.
"And Elena?"
The question came naturally.
Marco noticed.
"Still at St. Matthew's."
"Increase security."
"Already did."
Adrien looked at him.
Marco shrugged.
"You've called the hospital six times."
Adrien said nothing.
Marco smiled faintly.
"Understood."
At the hospital, Elena was sitting upright when Adrien arrived.
Mia was drawing at the small table.
She immediately held up a picture.
"That's you."
Adrien examined it.
The figure had enormous shoulders, black hair, and arms reaching nearly to the floor.
"I look like a gorilla."
"That's Teddy."
"Then who's this?"
She pointed at a stick figure wearing something resembling a blue square.
"You."
"Much better."
Elena laughed.
Adrien looked toward her.
Color had returned to her face.
"Doctor says another day."
"I heard."
"You've apparently been calling."
Adrien glanced at Mia.
"She reports everything."
Mia nodded.
"I'm a reporter."
Elena smiled.
Then her expression became serious.
"Mr. Romano—"
"Adrien."
"Adrien. I heard Caldwell was dismissed."
"He was."
"Because of me?"
"No."
Elena looked relieved.
"Because of himself."
Adrien sat.
"There are things you should know."
He explained the payroll theft.
Not the criminal implications.
Not Victor.
Not yet.
Elena listened in disbelief.
"So the medical deductions—"
"Stolen."
"And the overtime?"
"Also stolen."
Her eyes filled with anger.
Not fear this time.
"Three women quit because they couldn't afford childcare."
Adrien's expression tightened.
"Names?"
"I can give them to you."
"Do."
Elena studied him.
"What are you going to do?"
"Repay everyone."
"Even people who left?"
"Especially people who left."
She looked genuinely surprised.
Mia wandered over.
"Are we still getting kicked out?"
Adrien turned.
"No."
"Ever?"
He hesitated.
Elena quickly said, "Mia, nothing is forever."
Adrien looked at her.
"Actually, I was going to say you can stay as long as you want."
Elena stared.
"I don't want charity."
"It's not."
"What is it?"
"Correction."
She shook her head.
"We'll pay rent."
"Fine."
Adrien named a ridiculously low amount.
Elena gave him a look.
"Real rent."
Mia raised her hand.
"I have four dollars."
Adrien nodded solemnly.
"Finally, someone financially responsible."
Elena laughed again.
Adrien found himself watching her.
He didn't like how much he enjoyed the sound.
His phone vibrated.
Marco.
Adrien stepped into the hallway.
"We found Caldwell's car."
"Where?"
"Near the river."
"Body?"
"No."
Adrien's instincts sharpened.
"Security footage?"
"Someone picked him up."
"Who?"
"Black SUV. Plates stolen."
Adrien looked back through the hospital door.
Mia was drawing.
Elena was drinking water.
"Victor."
"That's my guess."
Adrien's face hardened.
"Double their guards."
Marco lowered his voice.
"Adrien, they may not be targets."
"They are if Caldwell talked."
"About what?"
Adrien stared through the glass.
"He knew I found out because of Mia."
Silence.
Marco understood.
"If Victor thinks the child witnessed something—"
"Exactly."
Adrien went back inside.
His expression must have changed because Elena noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
She frowned.
"You're terrible at that."
Adrien almost smiled.
"I need to move you."
"Move us where?"
"Somewhere secure."
Elena's face lost color.
"Why?"
"There may be complications with Caldwell."
"What kind?"
Adrien could lie.
For seven years, lying had been easier.
But Mia was watching.
And children remembered promises.
"Caldwell may have been giving information to dangerous people."
Elena stared.
"About you?"
"Yes."
"And now?"
"He disappeared."
Mia hugged Teddy.
"Is the bad man coming?"
Adrien crouched.
"No one is coming near you."
"Promise?"
This time he didn't hesitate.
"Promise."
That night Elena and Mia were moved not to the cottage but to the mansion itself.
Elena protested.
Adrien ignored her.
A guest suite had been prepared on the third floor.
Mia discovered the enormous bed and immediately jumped on it.
"Mia!"
Elena grabbed her.
Adrien leaned against the doorway.
"It's fine."
"She'll ruin it."
"I've had worse things happen to beds."
Elena gave him a look.
Adrien realized how that sounded.
"That's not what I meant."
For the first time, Elena laughed so hard she had to sit down.
Adrien stared at her.
He couldn't remember anyone laughing at him in his own house.
Strangely, he didn't hate it.
Later, after Mia fell asleep, Elena found Adrien standing outside the room.
"Thank you."
He looked toward her.
"For what?"
"For seeing her."
Adrien frowned.
"How could I not?"
"You'd be surprised."
She leaned against the doorway.
"Most powerful people spend their lives looking over everyone beneath them."
Adrien felt the accusation again.
"Maybe I did."
Elena studied him.
"Maybe."
He should have been offended.
Instead he appreciated that she didn't flatter him.
"I don't know what Mia would have done if you hadn't come home."
Adrien looked away.
Neither did he.
After Elena went inside, Adrien walked downstairs.
At the bottom of the staircase, Marco waited.
"We have a problem."
Adrien's body became still.
"What?"
Marco held out his phone.
Security footage showed a man standing across from the estate gates.
Watching.
Then lifting a phone.
The next image had been sent anonymously to one of Adrien's private numbers.
It showed Mia and Elena entering the mansion.
Underneath were six words.
YOU FOUND YOUR WEAKNESS, ROMANO.
Adrien read them twice.
His expression became ice.
For the first time in years, an enemy had correctly identified something Adrien cared about.
That terrified him.
Because powerful men could protect businesses.
They could protect money.
They could protect secrets.
Protecting people was harder.
People could be frightened.
People could be hurt.
People could be taken.
Adrien looked upstairs.
He had spent years believing he had nothing left to lose.
May you like
Now, suddenly, two people sleeping under his roof had changed everything.
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