Chapter 6 - The Ghost in the Mirror
The master suite smelled faintly of dry lavender and expensive French perfume—a ghost’s lingering signature.
Everything was frozen in time. On the vanity table lay silver hairbrushes, half-empty crystal perfume bottles, and a pair of diamond earrings left carelessly on a velvet dish.
I walked over to the massive gilded mirror above the vanity.
I stared at my reflection. For twenty-three years, I had thought this face belonged only to me—the tired eyes, the faint dark circles from double shifts, the small dimple near my lip. Now, looking around this room filled with silk gowns and million-dollar jewels, I realized I was looking at a life that could have been mine if fate had rolled a different set of dice.
Why did my mother leave Clara behind? The question burned in my throat like acid.
I began searching the room. I opened the vanity drawers—nothing but silk scarves, receipt slips, and high-end makeup. I checked the mahogany nightstands—empty legal briefs and books on pediatric health.
Then, as I walked near the grand four-poster bed, my foot struck a loose floorboard beneath the heavy Persian rug.
I stopped.
I knelt down, pulling back the heavy wool rug. One of the dark oak planks was slightly raised, its varnish worn away around the edges as if it had been lifted repeatedly.
Using my nails, I pried the board open.
Inside the dark recess lay a leather-bound journal tied with a faded red ribbon, and a sealed manila envelope stamped with an official notary crest.
My fingers trembled as I picked up the journal. I untied the ribbon and opened the first page.
The handwriting was neat, elegant, and frantic:
If someone is reading this, it means I am either dead or hiding where Lorenzo cannot find me. If you have my face, then you are Mara. Mother told me about you before she died in secret.
My breath caught in my throat. I dropped onto the floor, clutching the diary to my chest, tears blurring my vision before I forced myself to keep reading.
Lorenzo thinks my father was the monster who destroyed our family, but he is wrong. The true snake inside the Moretti empire is Uncle Julian—Counselor Vance. He has been leaking supply routes to the Falcone family for five years.
Julian discovered I was pregnant with Matteo. He threatened to kill my baby the moment he was born unless I handed over the syndicate's offshore account codes. I couldn't tell Lorenzo—Julian has men embedded in Lorenzo's personal guard.
I found out Mara is alive in Boston. Julian knows about her too. He is keeping her as a backup pawn in case I refuse to cooperate. If you are reading this, Mara, do not trust anyone in this house. Especially the man with the silver cane.
My blood ran completely cold.
The man with the silver cane.
Before I could process the words, the heavy double doors of the master suite unlocked with a loud CLICK.
I shoved the journal and the manila envelope under my waitress apron just as a shadow stretched across the polished hardwood floor.
May you like
Standing in the doorway was an older man with slicked-back silver hair, tailored charcoal three-piece suit, and a polished silver walking cane topped with a silver dragon head.
Counselor Julian Vance. My uncle.
