Chapter 6 - The PhotographThe photograph arrived on a Tuesday morning.
There was no return address.
No note.
No demand.
Only a large cream envelope placed neatly on the marble counter inside Cipriani Holdings’ executive reception area, addressed in black ink to:
Mrs. Ayla Cipriani. Personal.
That alone should have been impossible.
Every package entering Matteo’s corporate headquarters passed through security screening.
Every delivery was logged.
Every visitor was photographed.
Nobody walked into Matteo Cipriani’s world without leaving a record.
Yet when Ayla opened the envelope, her hands immediately became cold.
The photograph had been taken 2 days earlier.
She was standing outside an obstetric clinic in Manhattan, one hand beneath her rounded stomach while Kitty hugged her beside a black SUV.
Ayla remembered the exact moment.
They had just learned the baby was a girl.
Kitty had cried.
Ayla had cried.
Even the doctor had laughed when Kitty immediately announced that she intended to purchase “every tiny pink thing in New York.”
It should have been one of the happiest photographs imaginable.
Instead, somebody had drawn a small red circle around Ayla’s stomach.
Beneath it were 4 handwritten words.
Beautiful family. Easy target.
Ayla stared at them without breathing.
“Ayla?”
Her assistant, Clara, stood several feet away.
“You look pale.”
Ayla quickly turned the photograph facedown.
“I am fine.”
It was an automatic lie.
She had become extremely good at identifying fear since entering Matteo’s world.
This was not ordinary fear.
This was the kind that moved beneath the skin.
The kind that made every harmless sound seem deliberate.
The kind that immediately changed the meaning of an open doorway, a passing vehicle, or an unfamiliar face.
Her first instinct was to call Matteo.
Her second was to hide the photograph.
The second instinct surprised her.
Six months earlier, she would never have concealed danger from him.
Now she knew exactly what happened when Matteo became afraid for someone he loved.
Protection became confinement.
Concern became an army.
Love became bulletproof vehicles, armed guards, canceled plans, secured penthouses, and a husband who considered personally eliminating every possible danger.
Ayla understood why.
She also knew she could not spend the rest of her life living behind armored glass.
Especially not now that another life depended upon her.
She placed the photograph back inside the envelope.
“Clara, find Kyle.”
Her assistant nodded immediately.
Kyle entered her office less than 5 minutes later.
He no longer questioned why Ayla had an office on the executive floor of a company where she technically held no formal Cipriani position.
Matteo had purchased Laurent Inc. for her, and within 8 months Ayla had transformed the company.
She eliminated Jean’s hostile management structure.
She raised salaries for junior employees.
She introduced transparent promotion standards.
She removed the culture that had once allowed Mabel and others to humiliate people simply because they believed they possessed greater status.
Revenue had increased 31 percent.
Employee turnover had dropped dramatically.
Matteo mentioned these facts to anyone willing to listen and several people who were not.
Kyle closed the office door.
“What happened?”
Ayla handed him the envelope.
His normal expression disappeared immediately.
He examined the photograph without touching the surface unnecessarily.
“Who else saw this?”
“Clara saw the envelope. Not the photograph.”
“Matteo?”
“No.”
Kyle slowly raised his eyes.
“That is going to become a problem.”
“I know.”
“It will become a much larger problem if he learns I knew before him.”
“I know that too.”
“Ayla.”
Kyle leaned against her desk.
“You are asking a man with a healthy desire to remain alive to conceal a threat against the Don’s pregnant wife.”
“I am asking you to investigate it before Matteo turns Manhattan into a military occupation.”
“That description is unfair.”
Kyle paused.
“Only slightly unfair.”
Despite everything, Ayla almost smiled.
Kyle placed the photograph inside a clear evidence sleeve.
“The clinic?”
“Only Kitty and Matteo knew the appointment time.”
“Security knew.”
“Obviously.”
“Driver knew.”
“Yes.”
“Doctor’s office staff knew.”
Ayla’s stomach tightened.
Kyle noticed.
“That does not mean there is an internal leak.”
“But you are considering it.”
“I consider every possibility.”
His gaze moved toward her belly.
“Especially now.”
Ayla instinctively rested both hands over her daughter.
“Find out who took it.”
“I will.”
“And Kyle?”
“Yes?”
“Do not tell Matteo yet.”
He looked genuinely offended.
“I was afraid you would say that.”
“Give me 2 hours.”
“Thirty minutes.”
“One hour.”
“Forty-five minutes.”
Ayla sighed.
“Fine.”
Kyle pointed toward her.
“If I discover immediate danger, the agreement disappears.”
“Agreed.”
He left.
Ayla remained behind her desk and attempted to work.
For approximately 7 minutes.
Then she stood and walked toward the windows.
New York spread beneath her.
For most of her life, she had been invisible.
At Laurent Inc., people spoke around her as if she were furniture.
At social events, nobody important noticed her unless they wanted something.
Then Matteo had crossed an entire ballroom because he had noticed her kindness 3 weeks earlier.
He had made her visible.
Loved.
Protected.
And now that visibility had created another consequence.
Enemies could see her too.
Her telephone rang.
Matteo.
Ayla stared at his name.
Some irrational part of her wondered whether husbands developed supernatural abilities when their wives concealed threats.
She answered.
“Hello.”
“Why does your voice sound different?”
There it was.
“You called me after one word and already decided my voice is different?”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Silence.
“Ayla.”
“Matteo.”
Another silence.
His voice changed.
“Do not play this game with me.”
“I am working.”
“You are frightened.”
She turned from the window.
“How can you possibly know that?”
“Because I know every version of your voice.”
His answer was simple.
“I know the one you use when Kitty tells an embarrassing story. I know the one you use when you are angry but pretending to be reasonable. I know the one you use when you wake in the middle of the night and want me to hold you without admitting you had a bad dream.”
His tone softened.
“And I know the one you use when you are afraid.”
Ayla’s throat tightened.
“Where are you?”
“Driving toward you.”
“What?”
“I was already coming for lunch.”
Of course he was.
He visited her almost every day.
Sometimes with food.
Sometimes with flowers.
Sometimes for no reason except that, according to Matteo, 4 hours without seeing his pregnant wife constituted “an unreasonable separation.”
“Stay where you are,” he said.
“Matteo—”
“I will be there in 6 minutes.”
The call ended.
Ayla immediately called Kyle.
“You have approximately 5 minutes.”
“I discovered something.”
Her heart accelerated.
“What?”
“The security footage from the clinic.”
Ayla sat.
“And?”
“The person taking the photograph was in a parked vehicle across the street. Fake plates.”
“That tells us nothing.”
“There is more.”
Kyle’s voice lowered.
“The vehicle was photographed 3 weeks ago near Kitty’s hospital.”
Ayla’s blood turned cold.
“Kitty?”
“They may be watching everyone close to you.”
“Where is she?”
“I sent men already.”
Ayla stood.
“Without telling her?”
“She is currently yelling at them in the hospital parking structure.”
Despite the situation, that sounded exactly like Kitty.
“The photograph did not originate with the Rossi family,” Kyle continued.
“How do you know?”
“The Rossis are still honoring the agreement Matteo forced after the last conflict. Their leadership has no reason to reopen a war they barely survived politically or financially.”
“Then who?”
“That is the problem.”
The office door opened.
Matteo entered.
Kyle stopped speaking.
Matteo’s gaze moved between them.
Ayla knew immediately that lying was useless.
He shut the door slowly.
“What happened?”
Nobody answered.
Matteo’s expression became frighteningly calm.
“Kyle.”
Kyle looked at Ayla.
That single glance was enough.
Matteo crossed the room.
“What did you hide from me?”
Ayla moved toward him.
“Do not become angry.”
“That sentence has never been followed by information that improved my mood.”
She took his hand.
“Someone delivered a photograph.”
His entire body became still.
“What photograph?”
Kyle handed over the evidence sleeve.
Matteo looked at it.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then something inside him changed.
It was not dramatic.
He did not raise his voice.
He did not curse.
He did not strike anything.
His face simply emptied.
Ayla had learned that this version of Matteo was far more dangerous than anger.
“Who?”
“We do not know yet,” Kyle said.
“When?”
“Delivered approximately 1 hour ago.”
Matteo looked at Kyle.
“One hour.”
Kyle swallowed.
“Ayla requested time to investigate before—”
Matteo’s attention snapped toward his wife.
“You hid this from me.”
“For less than an hour.”
“You hid a direct threat against you and our daughter.”
His voice was low.
“I wanted information before you reacted.”
“Reacted?”
“Yes, reacted.”
Ayla refused to retreat.
“You love me, but when you are afraid, you decide everything.”
“I decide security matters because I have spent my entire adult life surviving people who kill for leverage.”
“And I am not one of your soldiers.”
“You are my wife.”
“Exactly.”
Her voice strengthened.
“Your wife. Your partner. Not a possession you lock inside a penthouse.”
His jaw tightened.
“This person knows your medical appointments.”
“And that terrifies me.”
She stepped closer.
“But being terrified does not mean I surrender every decision.”
For a moment, hurt moved across his face.
Ayla immediately softened.
“I am not rejecting your protection.”
She placed his hand against her stomach.
Their daughter moved beneath his palm.
Matteo inhaled sharply.
Ayla watched his anger break around the sensation.
“She kicked,” he whispered.
“She does that when you are being unreasonable.”
His eyes lifted.
“That is impossible.”
“She has excellent instincts.”
Kyle quietly moved toward the door.
“I should investigate.”
Matteo did not look away from Ayla.
“Do not leave the building.”
“I had no intention.”
“Double security around Kitty.”
“Already done.”
“Review every person who accessed Ayla’s medical schedule.”
“Doing it.”
“Find the vehicle.”
Kyle nodded.
“And Kyle?”
“Yes?”
“Next time my wife asks you to conceal a threat from me—”
Kyle raised both hands.
“I will immediately betray her.”
Ayla turned.
“Kyle.”
“I value our friendship greatly, but I value breathing more.”
He escaped.
Matteo remained silent.
Ayla touched his cheek.
“You are angry.”
“I am terrified.”
The confession destroyed her defenses.
He lowered his forehead to hers.
“When my father died, I learned that loving someone means accepting a place inside yourself that enemies can reach.”
His voice became rough.
“I spent years refusing to create another weakness.”
“You are not weak because you love me.”
“No.”
He looked down at her stomach.
“But I now have 2 people whose loss would destroy me.”
Ayla wrapped her arms around him.
“You will not lose us.”
“You cannot promise that.”
“Neither can you promise me that nothing will ever happen to you.”
She pulled back.
“So we protect each other intelligently.”
Matteo regarded her.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I accept increased security.”
“Four guards.”
“Two.”
“Four.”
“Three.”
“Four.”
“Three and Kyle whenever available.”
Matteo considered.
“Accepted.”
“And I keep working.”
His expression immediately changed.
“Ayla.”
“I keep working.”
“The person photographed you.”
“I will not reward them by disappearing.”
“They threatened our daughter.”
“And she deserves a mother who refuses to let fear determine her entire life.”
Matteo stared at her for a long moment.
Then he nodded once.
“Fine.”
Ayla blinked.
“That was easier than expected.”
“I am learning.”
“You are?”
“No.”
He touched her face.
“I am temporarily pretending.”
She laughed despite herself.
Then his telephone rang.
Kyle.
Matteo answered immediately.
“What?”
A pause.
His expression hardened.
“Are you certain?”
Ayla felt dread return.
“Send it to me.”
He ended the call.
“What happened?”
Matteo looked at her.
“The vehicle was found.”
“Where?”
“Abandoned in Brooklyn.”
“And?”
“There was something inside.”
Her fingers closed around his sleeve.
“What?”
“A second photograph.”
He turned his telephone toward her.
The image showed Matteo entering Cipriani Holdings that morning.
A red circle had been drawn around his chest.
Beneath it:
A wife can lose a husband too.
Ayla stopped breathing.
This time Matteo was not the one who needed to hold her.
She grabbed him with both arms.
“No.”
“I am here.”
“No.”
She pressed her face against his chest.
“You cannot go anywhere alone.”
His mouth touched her hair.
“A moment ago, you were giving a speech about refusing to live in fear.”
“That speech no longer applies.”
Despite everything, a faint laugh moved through him.
Ayla pulled back angrily.
“This is not funny.”
“No.”
He held her face.
“But now perhaps you understand the instinct.”
She looked at the photograph again.
They had assumed the enemy wanted to threaten Ayla because she was Matteo’s vulnerability.
They had been wrong.
Whoever this was had selected both of them.
The wife.
The husband.
The unborn child.
Their entire family.
Matteo kissed her forehead.
“We do this your way and mine.”
“What does that mean?”
“You continue working.”
He paused.
“Inside a fortress.”
“Matteo.”
“Compromise.”
Ayla would have argued.
Instead, her daughter kicked again.
Both of them looked down.
Matteo’s expression softened instantly.
“She agrees with me.”
“You cannot use our unborn daughter to win arguments.”
“I absolutely can.”
His hand remained over Ayla’s stomach.
Then his eyes became cold again.
“Whoever sent those photographs believes fear will separate us.”
Ayla covered his hand with hers.
“They made a mistake.”
“Yes.”
“What happens now?”
Matteo looked through the glass walls toward the city.
“Now we learn who is watching.”
He drew his wife close.
“And when we do, they will understand something extremely important.”
“What?”
His gaze returned to her.
“Threatening you does not make me weaker.”
His hand rested protectively over their child.
“It gives me something worth fighting intelligently to preserve.”
For the first time since opening the envelope, Ayla’s fear changed.
It remained present.
But beneath it was something stronger.
Resolve.
May you like
Somebody believed the Cipriani family could be broken by attacking what they loved most.
They were about to learn exactly how wrong that assumption was.
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