Chapter 9
I followed Elena at a careful distance.
She didn't go to the powder room. She went to Dominic's private study.
Through the crack in the door, I watched her pull out her phone with shaking hands.
"It's me," she hissed. "Someone knows about Kessler. That architect, Cole — she's asking questions."
Pause.
"I don't care! Fix it! Destroy the records, pay him off, I don't give a damn how. If this gets out—"
She stopped, listening to whoever was on the other end.
"No, I'm not leaving yet. If I run now, Dominic will know."
Another pause.
"The money? It's in the Cayman account. $47 million. But I can't access it without the secondary authorization from the board member."
She paced. "Listen to me very carefully. If Dominic finds out who I really am, we're all dead. The Marchettis don't leave loose ends."
I pressed the recording device in my clutch.
Every word was being captured.
But I needed more. I needed her to say her real name.
I pushed the study door open.
"Oh!" I said, feigning surprise. "I'm so sorry, I was looking for the restroom."
Elena spun, shoving her phone behind her back.
"Get out," she snapped.
"Everything alright?" I asked innocently, stepping further into the room. "You look upset."
"I said get out!"
"Vivienne—" I paused deliberately— "or should I say Elena?"
Time stopped.
Her face contorted, the mask of sweetness crumbling like plaster.
"Who told you that name?" she whispered.
"Dr. Kessler sends his regards," I said calmly. "He was very cooperative once Interpol got involved."
Elena lunged at me.
Her hands closed around my throat, slamming me against the bookshelf.
"You stupid bitch," she snarled. "Do you know who I am? The Marchettis will—"
"Will what?" Dominic's voice came from the doorway.
Elena's head whipped around.
Dominic stood there flanked by two federal agents, his face a mask of barely contained rage.
"Get your hands off her," he said, low and deadly.
Elena released me and stumbled backward.
"Dom, baby, this isn't what it looks like—"
"Elena Marchetti," one of the agents stepped forward. "You're under arrest for fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit racketeering."
"No!" Elena screamed. "You can't prove anything!"
"Actually," I said, rubbing my throat, "we have four years of proof. Bank records, surgical documentation, and—" I held up my clutch— "your confession, recorded thirty seconds ago."
Elena's face crumpled.
"Dominic, please," she begged, reaching for him. "I loved you. Everything I did was because I loved you—"
"You don't know what love is," Dominic said. "The woman you impersonated is dead because of your family. You wore her face like a costume."
"And the woman you just tried to strangle," he continued, his voice shaking with fury, "is the mother of my children."
Elena's eyes went wide.
"Take her," Dominic told the agents.
As they cuffed her and led her out, Elena looked back at me one final time.
"This isn't over, Serena. The Marchettis never forget."
"Then they'll have plenty to remember in prison," I replied.
The door closed, and silence filled the study.
Dominic turned to me, his eyes dropping to the red marks on my neck.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," I said, straightening my dress. "It's done."
"Serena..." He reached for me, then stopped himself, his hand falling to his side. "Thank you."
I nodded and moved toward the door.
"Wait," he called.
I paused.
"What she said about the Marchettis — I'm going to assign security for you and the children. Non-negotiable."
For once, I didn't argue.
"Fine."
"Serena."
"What?"
His voice broke: "Will you ever let me be their father?"
She didn't go to the powder room. She went to Dominic's private study.
Through the crack in the door, I watched her pull out her phone with shaking hands.
"It's me," she hissed. "Someone knows about Kessler. That architect, Cole — she's asking questions."
Pause.
"I don't care! Fix it! Destroy the records, pay him off, I don't give a damn how. If this gets out—"
She stopped, listening to whoever was on the other end.
"No, I'm not leaving yet. If I run now, Dominic will know."
Another pause.
"The money? It's in the Cayman account. $47 million. But I can't access it without the secondary authorization from the board member."
She paced. "Listen to me very carefully. If Dominic finds out who I really am, we're all dead. The Marchettis don't leave loose ends."
I pressed the recording device in my clutch.
Every word was being captured.
But I needed more. I needed her to say her real name.
I pushed the study door open.
"Oh!" I said, feigning surprise. "I'm so sorry, I was looking for the restroom."
Elena spun, shoving her phone behind her back.
"Get out," she snapped.
"Everything alright?" I asked innocently, stepping further into the room. "You look upset."
"I said get out!"
"Vivienne—" I paused deliberately— "or should I say Elena?"
Time stopped.
Her face contorted, the mask of sweetness crumbling like plaster.
"Who told you that name?" she whispered.
"Dr. Kessler sends his regards," I said calmly. "He was very cooperative once Interpol got involved."
Elena lunged at me.
Her hands closed around my throat, slamming me against the bookshelf.
"You stupid bitch," she snarled. "Do you know who I am? The Marchettis will—"
"Will what?" Dominic's voice came from the doorway.
Elena's head whipped around.
Dominic stood there flanked by two federal agents, his face a mask of barely contained rage.
"Get your hands off her," he said, low and deadly.
Elena released me and stumbled backward.
"Dom, baby, this isn't what it looks like—"
"Elena Marchetti," one of the agents stepped forward. "You're under arrest for fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit racketeering."
"No!" Elena screamed. "You can't prove anything!"
"Actually," I said, rubbing my throat, "we have four years of proof. Bank records, surgical documentation, and—" I held up my clutch— "your confession, recorded thirty seconds ago."
Elena's face crumpled.
"Dominic, please," she begged, reaching for him. "I loved you. Everything I did was because I loved you—"
"You don't know what love is," Dominic said. "The woman you impersonated is dead because of your family. You wore her face like a costume."
"And the woman you just tried to strangle," he continued, his voice shaking with fury, "is the mother of my children."
Elena's eyes went wide.
"Take her," Dominic told the agents.
As they cuffed her and led her out, Elena looked back at me one final time.
"This isn't over, Serena. The Marchettis never forget."
"Then they'll have plenty to remember in prison," I replied.
The door closed, and silence filled the study.
Dominic turned to me, his eyes dropping to the red marks on my neck.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," I said, straightening my dress. "It's done."
"Serena..." He reached for me, then stopped himself, his hand falling to his side. "Thank you."
I nodded and moved toward the door.
"Wait," he called.
I paused.
"What she said about the Marchettis — I'm going to assign security for you and the children. Non-negotiable."
For once, I didn't argue.
"Fine."
"Serena."
"What?"
His voice broke: "Will you ever let me be their father?"