Part 6
Three days passed.
The tension in the house grew thick, like the air before a massive storm.
Enzo was rarely seen during the day, orchestrating his moves from the shadows.
Elena spent her time in the library, trying to read, but her mind kept drifting back to her uncle.
She knew he wouldn't take the loss of his inventory lightly.
He was a desperate man, and desperate men were unpredictable.
On the fourth night, Enzo returned late.
He didn't look angry; he looked exhilarated.
He found her sitting by the fireplace in the main drawing-room.
“It’s done,” he said, tossing his gloves onto a table.
Elena stood up. “The warehouse?”
“Completely emptied,” Enzo said, walking over to the fire to warm his hands. “Your uncle’s creditors called him an hour ago. They gave him forty-eight hours to produce the funds he no longer has.”
Elena felt a chill run down her spine. “He will know it was you.”
“Of course he knows it was me,” Enzo said, turning to look at her. “But he can't prove it. And more importantly, he can't do anything about it. My family outnumbers his ten to one.”
“He will try to contact me,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “He will think he can use me to negotiate with you.”
Enzo walked over to her, his steps slow and deliberate.
He stopped right in front of her, looking down into her anxious eyes.
“Let him try,” Enzo said. “In fact, I want him to.”
Elena frowned. “Why?”
“Because a man who thinks he has a hidden card is a man who makes mistakes,” Enzo explained. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, encrypted cell phone. He placed it in her hand.
“He will call this number tonight. I intercepted the frequency he uses.”
Elena stared at the phone in her palm. It felt like a live explosive.
“What do you want me to say?”
“Tell him you are terrified,” Enzo said, his voice dropping to a low, hypnotic murmur. “Tell him I am monster. Tell him I am keeping you locked away and that you will do anything to help him if he gets you out.”
Elena looked up at him, her heart hammering against her ribs.
“You want me to lie to him.”
“I want you to trap him,” Enzo corrected. “Give him a location. Tell him I am leaving the estate tomorrow night for a meeting downtown and that the security will be light at the western gate.”
Elena swallowed hard. “He will bring men. He will try to kill you.”
“He will try,” Enzo agreed, a dark, dangerous spark igniting in his eyes. “But he will find an ambush waiting for him instead.”
He leaned down, his face inches from hers.
“This is the moment, Elena. You can either be the girl who got sold, or you can be the woman who helps me pull the trigger on your past.”
She looked into his eyes and saw no pity.
Only respect.
Only an invitation to stand beside him in the dark.
May you like
Slowly, her fingers tightened around the phone.
“Give me the details,” she said, her voice turning as cold as ice. “I’ll make sure he believes every word.”
