Chapter 6 - Victor’s Real Target Was Never Luca

Luca wanted Victor.

Emma wanted her father.

Nathan wanted both of them to wait.

Nobody got what they wanted.

Daniel’s call was traced to a prepaid relay near Vale Logistics.

Marco found traffic footage.

One black sedan entered.

None left.

Luca looked at the image.

“Victor.”

Emma nodded.

“He has my father.”

Nathan shook his head.

“Or Daniel went willingly.”

Emma turned.

“Why would he?”

“Because Daniel has been building a case. He may have wanted Victor to believe he could be turned.”

Luca’s expression hardened.

“That is a terrible plan.”

Emma almost laughed.

“My father likes terrible plans.”

“That explains you.”

She looked at him.

Despite everything, she smiled.

One second.

Then gone.

They returned to the clinic.

Belini sat at the conference table without her red coat.

She looked exhausted.

Luca placed Victor’s warehouse photograph in front of her.

She stared.

“I’ve never seen that building.”

Emma watched her eyes.

No obvious lie.

Then Luca placed the image of Daniel beside Victor.

Belini’s face changed.

“That’s him.”

Emma leaned forward.

“You know my father?”

“I know the face.”

“From where?”

Belini closed her eyes.

“Victor’s office.”

Luca’s voice dropped.

“When?”

“Months ago.”

“What were you doing in Victor’s office?”

“He asked me to choose a venue for your engagement party.”

Luca stared.

Belini continued quickly.

“There were photographs on his desk. Yours. Mine. Emma’s.”

Emma froze.

“My photograph?”

“Not you as the waitress.”

Belini looked directly at her.

“You with shorter hair. Different name.”

“Evans.”

“Yes.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“What did Victor say?”

“That she was an insurance policy.”

Silence.

Emma felt the pieces align.

Victor knew Luca’s security.

Victor knew his vehicles.

Victor gave the watches.

Victor betrayed him during dinner.

But Victor had also been tracking Emma before she entered Luca’s life.

“Insurance against what?” Luca asked.

Belini shook her head.

“I didn’t ask.”

Emma stared at her.

“You saw a dead woman’s file and didn’t ask?”

Belini’s mouth tightened.

“I knew Victor kept leverage on everyone.”

Luca’s eyes turned cold.

“Everyone?”

Belini looked at him.

“Yes.”

That landed differently.

Victor had grown up beside him.

A brother without blood.

And had apparently catalogued weaknesses like assets.

Marco entered.

“We extracted more from the receiver watch.”

He placed a tablet down.

A folder labeled C.

Inside were Luca’s routes.

Private addresses.

Meeting patterns.

Then another folder.

E.E.

Emma’s old addresses.

Her father’s office.

The site of her staged death.

Her current restaurant.

Luca stared at Victor’s surveillance history.

“He was tracking both of us.”

Emma nodded.

“Because we were not separate targets.”

Nathan looked at her.

“Say it.”

Emma stood.

“Victor did not bring shooters to the Sovereign only to remove Luca.”

Luca’s gaze sharpened.

“He expected you to be there.”

“Yes.”

Belini frowned.

“Why?”

Emma looked at the location history.

“My restaurant schedule was predictable.”

Nathan understood.

“The attack forces Emma to reveal herself.”

Exactly.

Three years of invisibility.

Gone in thirty seconds if she moved.

Victor had created the one situation where she could not stay invisible.

A child beneath a table.

A wounded man.

Civilians.

Emma would act.

He knew enough about her to count on it.

Luca became very still.

“He used me to expose you.”

“And used me to destabilize you.”

Belini whispered, “Why?”

Nathan answered.

“Because Vale needed both problems solved.”

Emma looked at him.

“Luca controls the ports Vale wants.”

Nathan nodded.

“And Emma knows the financial network that can destroy him.”

Luca looked toward the window.

“So Victor gets my organization.”

“And Vale gets his routes back.”

Emma’s voice hardened.

“And I disappear again.”

Marco’s phone rang.

He answered.

Listened.

Then put it on speaker.

Victor’s voice filled the room.

“Luca.”

Nobody moved.

Victor continued.

“I have Daniel Evans.”

Emma’s hand closed into a fist.

Luca’s voice stayed calm.

“What do you want?”

A pause.

Then:

“Emma.”

Luca looked at her.

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Victor laughed softly.

“You see? Now we finally understand each other.”