Page 84 of The Hidden Heir

Raquel returns to the front desk while Victor and I exchange curious glances.

“I swear, the Mancuso’s are a different breed altogether,” he mutters.

Caroline walks in with a tense smile and worried eyes. The underlying hint of fear she exhibits piques my interest.

Victor and I both stand up to greet her.

“Caroline, I didn’t expect you here today,” I say, motioning for her to take the seat next to Victor’s.

“Would you like some coffee?” Victor asks as she sits down, his hand already on the pot, but Caroline shakes her head.

“No, thank you, I’m wide awake and then some,” she replies, then looks at me with the deepest frown she can muster. “Luca, I came as soon as I realized something after that ballroom horror. I couldn’t bear to leave you thinking the worst of me, of us.”

“I’ll admit, the Mancusos are at the top of my suspect list right now,” I say.

Victor clears his throat. “We’re not making accusations at this point, however.”

“I know,” Caroline sighs. “It’s just… For my whole life, I was raised to be loyal to the family and our business. I wholeheartedly believed in our creed, in our mission. Hell, I worked my ass off to prove myself worthy, even though I couldn’t have children of my own. There had to be another way for me to make my mark as a Mancuso, you know?”

“It’s sad that you’ve had your value reduced to just… that,” I admit.

She nods once. “It is. But over the past few months, I’ve seen a shift in my family. Things have changed, and not in a good way. It started with Stefano’s death. I didn’t see it at first because I didn’t want to admit how I felt at the time, but I see it now, clearer than ever.”

“What’s going on, Caroline?” I ask.

“I think my father is deliberately keeping me out of some of the family affairs,” she says. “When I get close to certain topics, he shuts me down or sends me off on some wild goose chase, just to keep me busy, to keep me from asking more questions, from digging deeper.”

“Why are you sharing these thoughts with us? We’re still the enemy, aren’t we?”

“His enemy,” she replies, giving me a stern look. “Not mine. You and I were going to be married. I took that seriously.”

“And then I married your stepsister instead. You have every reason to hate me.”

“But I don’t, okay?” she snaps. “I don’t hate you. I’m worried about you. And I have concerns that directly address you and Valentina based on the bits and pieces I’ve picked up along the way.”

I lean back in my seat and read her expression carefully, slowly deliberating whether I should trust her or not. So far, Caroline has managed to straddle the line between collaboration and betrayal.

“What bits and pieces, exactly?” Victor asks.

Caroline exhales sharply. “My father has a safe house in Mayfair. It’s usually empty, kept pristine and fully stocked, but nobody ever uses it. Someone goes in once a month to clean up and check the expiration dates on the stuff in the pantry, but that’s about it.”

“A safe house. That’s not unusual in our line of work.”

“I know. He has stash houses all over the city, but this one is different. He never told me what it was for, just that I wasn’t allowed to use it for any of our operations. I can’t even use the address for any new LLC I might want to open,” she says. “Thing is, over the past few months, I noticed movement going to and going from the house.”

“Movement?” I reply, my eyes narrowing with suspicion.

“A security detail moving back and forth, giving reports to my father behind closed doors. He’s had fresh food and various in-home services delivered there,” she says. “He’s either using it as a stash house and keeping the runners there happy, or he’s got someone there. I don’t know, maybe a witness, maybe someone from your organization, I’m not sure.”

My blood boils in my veins. I sit up straight. “What makes you say that, Caroline?”

“I overheard a few conversations. Dad thought I was upstairs or out of earshot, except I wasn’t. I didn’t get any of the details, but I know something is happening in Mayfair, and I know it’s got something to do with the Petruccis. The fact that he’s keeping it from me raised every red flag in my head, and if I can’t trust my own father, Luca, what else do I have left?”

I ponder my response for moment while Victor taps a slew of messages into his phone, occasionally stealing glances at Caroline, who sits in silence, waiting for my reaction.

Her gaze seems a tad lighter, as if a huge pressure was just taken off her shoulders, so I give her a soft nod.

“Would you like me to look into it?” I ask.