Chapter 2 - I couldn't speak.The photograph trembled between my fingers.
“I've never met him.”
Dominic watched me carefully.
“I believe you.”
“Then why does he think I work for him?”
“That,” Dominic said, “is what concerns me.”
His general manager, Victor, closed the door.
The moment the lock clicked, I realized this wasn't a normal meeting anymore.
Dominic stood.
He was taller than I had imagined.
Not intimidating because of size.
Because he moved like someone who never needed to hurry.
He walked toward the windows.
Below us, the casino glittered.
Thousands of lights.
Hundreds of people.
Music.
Money.
Laughter.
Nobody downstairs knew what was happening above them.
Nobody knew someone had stolen my identity.
Or that my name was now attached to nearly one hundred thousand dollars of debt.
Or that a man with a history in organized crime believed I belonged to him.
Dominic turned.
“Tell me everything about Mason.”
“I already told you.”
“No.”
His voice was softer.
“You told me what he did to you.”
He returned to the desk.
“I want to know what he was hiding.”
I hesitated.
Then I said, “Mason changed six months ago.”
“How?”
“He started staying out late.”
“Where?”
“He said business meetings.”
“Did he have a business?”
“I thought so.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean?”
“Mason worked in private finance.”
Victor exchanged a look with Dominic.
“What?” I asked.
Dominic opened another file.
“Mason hasn't legally worked in finance for almost three years.”
I stared.
“That isn't possible.”
“He lost his license after an investigation.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he didn't want you to know.”
Dominic pushed another photograph toward me.
It showed Mason leaving a warehouse.
A man in a dark coat stood beside him.
The same silver-haired man from the first photograph.
Elias.
I felt sick.
“When was this taken?”
“Two months ago.”
“That was when Mason told me he was traveling for work.”
“He wasn't traveling.”
Dominic's voice hardened.
“He was laundering money.”
I stood so quickly the chair behind me scraped the floor.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Mason lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“He used my name.”
“Yes.”
“He stole my money.”
“Yes.”
I stared at Dominic.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
He didn't answer.
Instead, he opened the last page in the file.
A photograph fell onto the desk.
I recognized the apartment.
My apartment.
My bedroom.
My closet.
My old laptop on the bed.
My heart stopped.
“When was that taken?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“That isn't possible.”
Victor spoke.
“It was captured by a security camera in the parking garage.”
I stared.
Someone had taken the photograph from inside my apartment?
No.
That didn't make sense.
I had never installed a camera.
Dominic watched my face.
“You weren't the target.”
“What?”
“Mason was.”
I frowned.
“Then why photograph my apartment?”
“Because someone wanted to know whether something was hidden there.”
My skin prickled.
“Something like what?”
Dominic paused.
“We don't know.”
A knock sounded.
The door opened.
A security officer entered.
“Mr. Costantini.”
“What?”
“We have a situation downstairs.”
Dominic's expression changed.
“What situation?”
“Mr. Reed came back.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why?”
The guard looked at me.
“He's demanding to speak with Claire.”
Dominic stood.
“No.”
“He says he'll leave if he can give her something.”
“What?”
The guard swallowed.
“A flash drive.”
I looked at Dominic.
“What is on it?”
“We don't know.”
The casino suddenly felt much larger.
And much more dangerous.
Dominic walked toward the door.
“Keep him in the private lounge.”
Then he looked at me.
“You stay here.”
“I want to see him.”
“No.”
“Mason knows something about those loans.”
“And that's exactly why you stay here.”
I stepped toward him.
“Dominic.”
He stopped.
“I need answers.”
His eyes locked with mine.
“You'll get them.”
Then he walked out.
Victor remained.
I stared at the closed door.
“How bad is this?”
Victor didn't answer.
That terrified me more than anything.
Ten minutes later, the door opened again.
Dominic returned alone.
He placed a small black flash drive on the desk.
“Mason left this.”
I stared.
“What did he say?”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“He said it would prove he never stole your money.”
I almost laughed.
“Of course he's lying.”
“Maybe.”
I looked at Dominic.
“You don't believe him?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
Dominic sat down.
“We're going to find out.”
He connected the drive to the computer.
One folder appeared.
No files.
Just one video.
He clicked it.
Static.
Then Mason's face appeared.
He looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not arrogant.
Terrified.
“Claire,” he said.
My breathing stopped.
“If you're watching this, I couldn't get out.”
Dominic leaned closer to the screen.
Mason continued.
“They're watching everything.”
He looked over his shoulder.
“I never meant for you to become involved.”
My hands curled into fists.
“You need to understand something.”
Mason lowered his voice.
“The eighty-six thousand dollars isn't debt.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
Mason looked directly into the camera.
“It's payment.”
The video cut to black.
I whispered, “Payment for what?”
The screen came back.
A second message appeared.
This time, Mason wasn't alone.
Elias Varela stood behind him.
His hand rested on Mason's shoulder.
Elias looked directly into the camera.
“Hello, Claire.”
My heart stopped.
He smiled.
“You finally met Dominic.”
Dominic's expression turned cold.
Elias continued.
“Now we can begin.”
The screen went black.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Dominic asked the question that changed everything.
“Claire, what have you done in your life that Mason never told me about?”
I stared at him.
“Nothing.”
Dominic didn't blink.
“Then someone has been pretending to be you for a very long time.”
My phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
One message.
CHECK YOUR OLD UNIVERSITY EMAIL.
May you like
Another message arrived immediately.
THE ANSWER IS THERE.
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