Chapter 7 - the room where Vincent died
The old Vance Social Club had been closed for twelve years.
Its faded green awning remained above the entrance.
Inside, dust covered tables where judges, businessmen and men with guns had once eaten pasta together and pretended those categories were separate.
Dominic entered first.
Isabella followed.
Caroline remained in the vehicle with the security team, monitoring cameras Emma had hacked remotely.
Dominic carried no visible weapon.
Isabella did.
He glanced at her.
“You always hated guns.”
“I learned to hate being helpless more.”
They walked through the dark dining room.
At the rear stood the private office where Vincent had died.
Dominic stopped outside the door.
He had not entered since that night.
Isabella watched him.
“You found him?”
“Yes.”
Dominic remembered the detail nobody spoke about.
His father on the floor.
One hand gripping the desk.
A broken glass.
A strange chemical smell.
Dominic had assumed it came from medicine.
Now he knew better.
He opened the door.
The room had barely changed.
Desk.
Leather chairs.
Bookshelves.
A framed photograph of Vincent with Dominic and Isabella as children.
Dominic picked it up.
Isabella looked over his shoulder.
“We looked ridiculous.”
“You cut your own hair.”
“I was nine.”
“You were dangerous with scissors.”
For one brief second they were brother and sister again.
Then a light came on behind them.
Paul DeLuca stood in the doorway.
Dominic placed the photograph down.
“Paul.”
Paul looked older than Dominic remembered from that morning.
His shoulders had sagged.
His face was pale.
“Boss.”
Dominic almost laughed.
“Don’t call me that.”
Paul entered.
Isabella raised her weapon.
Paul lifted his hands.
“I’m unarmed.”
“Where is Caroline?” Dominic asked.
“Safe, if she stayed outside.”
“You were with her earlier.”
“Yes.”
“You brought her a drive.”
“Yes.”
“From Daniel.”
Paul closed his eyes.
“There is no Daniel.”
Dominic watched him.
“You know.”
“I have known for years.”
“Who is using his name?”
Paul looked toward the old desk.
“Your father.”
The room went silent.
Dominic stared at him.
“My father is dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then explain.”
Paul approached the desk slowly.
“Vincent knew he might be killed. He created a network of instructions that would continue operating after his death.”
Caroline had said something similar.
“Dead drops.”
“More than that. Timed accounts. Lawyers with sealed orders. Financial triggers. Messages released only when certain conditions were met.”
Isabella lowered her gun slightly.
“Dad built a machine.”
Paul nodded.
“A machine designed to expose everyone responsible if his children ever reunited.”
Dominic frowned.
“Why wait for us?”
“Because separately you were vulnerable. Together you controlled the two things Vincent believed were necessary.”
“What things?”
Paul looked at Isabella.
“Evidence.”
Then Dominic.
“Power.”
Dominic felt suddenly tired.
“You could have told me.”
Paul gave a sad smile.
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Sixteen years ago.”
Dominic stared at him.
Paul continued.
“The night your father died.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
“That was never in the report.”
“Richard Hale removed it.”
Isabella tightened her grip on her gun.
Paul pointed toward the desk.
“Your father called me here. He had discovered who arranged Isabella’s attempted murder.”
“Richard?”
“No.”
“Adrian?”
“No.”
Dominic felt the old darkness gathering again.
“Then who?”
Paul looked directly at him.
“Your father’s wife.”
Dominic stopped.
“My mother?”
Isabella said, “No.”
Paul’s voice shook.
“Not Sophia.”
Dominic frowned.
Vincent had never had another wife.
Then Paul said, “At least, not the wife you knew about.”
Dominic stared.
Paul opened a drawer in the desk.
Inside was an old marriage certificate.
Vincent Vance.
Evelyn Price.
Dated twenty nine years earlier.
Dominic looked at Isabella.
“That was during Mom’s marriage.”
Paul nodded.
“Vincent secretly married Evelyn without legally ending his marriage to Sophia.”
Isabella whispered, “Bigamy.”
“Yes.”
Dominic looked at the date.
Daniel would have been a child.
“What happened?”
“Evelyn believed Vincent would eventually leave Sophia. He never did. When he ended the relationship, she began working with Adrian.”
Dominic understood.
“Daniel grew up thinking our mother stole his father.”
“Yes.”
“And that we stole his family.”
“Yes.”
“But Daniel is dead.”
Paul’s eyes filled with tears.
“I know.”
“What are you not telling us?”
Paul sat down.
“Daniel never wanted the empire.”
Dominic waited.
“He wanted Vincent.”
Isabella lowered her weapon completely.
Paul continued.
“When Daniel was twenty three, he contacted your father. He wanted a relationship. Vincent refused.”
“Why?”
“Because by then Daniel had already begun working for Richard Hale.”
Dominic frowned.
“Doing what?”
“Financial intelligence.”
Isabella looked at the ledger.
“He became part of the conspiracy.”
“For a while.”
Paul swallowed.
“Then he discovered what Richard and Adrian were really planning.”
“What?”
“To destroy the Vance family and divide its assets through legitimate companies.”
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“A corporate takeover with guns.”
“Essentially.”
“Daniel warned Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Then why is he dead?”
Paul looked down.
“Because Richard found out.”
The room went silent.
Dominic said, “Richard killed his own ally.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Eight years ago.”
“That means whoever is continuing this is not Daniel.”
“No.”
Dominic looked at the marriage certificate again.
“Who inherited Daniel’s hatred?”
Paul did not answer.
Isabella said, “A child?”
Paul’s silence became the answer.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“Daniel had a child.”
“Yes.”
“Son or daughter?”
Paul looked toward the door.
A floorboard creaked outside.
Isabella raised her gun.
Dominic turned.
A woman stepped into the doorway.
She was perhaps thirty.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
Dominic recognized those eyes immediately.
They were his father’s.
May you like
She smiled.
“Hello, Uncle Dominic.”
