Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO WANTED HER SILENTThomas drew his weapon.
Daniel pushed Maya behind the metal shelving.
The storage door lifted halfway before stopping.
A man crouched beneath it.
He wore a black jacket and a baseball cap.
"Mr. Reed," he called. "We only want the girl."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Then you've come to the wrong place."
The intruder reached inside his jacket.
Thomas fired a warning shot into the concrete floor.
The man immediately retreated.
Two more figures appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Daniel grabbed Maya's hand.
"Back exit. Now."
They moved through the narrow passage between storage units.
Thomas followed, keeping the men behind them.
At the loading area, a black sedan waited with its engine running.
The driver recognized Thomas and unlocked the doors.
They escaped seconds before another vehicle blocked the main entrance.
Inside the car, Maya struggled to breathe.
"Who are these people?"
"People who believe fear is more effective than negotiation," Daniel replied.
"Are they going to keep coming?"
"Until we understand what your aunt discovered."
Maya looked at him.
"Then we need to find the truth."
Daniel nodded.
They drove to a secure apartment owned by his attorney.
There, Daniel finally explained his relationship with Dominic Moretti.
Years earlier, Richard Reed and Dominic's father had built a legitimate shipping business together. When Richard discovered that another partner was diverting money through false invoices, he demanded an investigation.
The partner was Anthony Moretti.
Dominic's uncle.
Anthony had used the criminal network to intimidate Richard.
After Richard's death, the Moretti organization fractured.
Dominic inherited control of the family business, while Daniel inherited his father's legitimate companies.
The two men had become rivals because each believed the other knew more about the betrayal.
Maya listened carefully.
"Does Dominic know about me?"
"I don't think so."
"Then why would his security chief want me?"
Daniel looked at the photograph.
"Because you're Richard's daughter."
He contacted his lawyer and arranged a meeting with Dominic.
The following afternoon, Dominic arrived at the apartment.
He was forty-one, impeccably dressed, and carried himself with the confidence of a man who had spent his life avoiding mistakes.
His eyes settled on Maya.
"So you're the girl Victor has been trying to find."
Maya folded her arms.
"I'm a woman. And I would appreciate it if everyone stopped calling me a girl."
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
Daniel almost smiled.
"She's not intimidated by you."
"Clearly."
Dominic examined the documents.
When he saw the three-point crown, his expression darkened.
"Where did you find this?"
"In the storage unit," Maya answered.
He looked at Daniel.
"Your father kept this symbol?"
"Apparently."
Dominic studied the old photograph.
Then he noticed something.
The man standing beside Richard was not Dominic's father.
It was Anthony.
Dominic's uncle had been present when the photograph was taken.
He turned it over.
A date appeared.
The day before the fire.
Dominic looked at Maya.
"Your father was meeting Anthony the night before you disappeared."
Maya felt her stomach tighten.
"Then Anthony knows what happened to my parents."
May you like
Dominic nodded slowly.
"And I think he's been searching for you ever since."
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