Chapter 5 5

They left Lake Como before dawn, the villa retreating into shadow as the car wound down the narrow road. Isabella watched the iron gate disappear behind them and felt a sharp, unexpected ache. It wasn't nostalgia this time. It was certainty. She knew she wouldn't return here unchanged, no matter how this ended.

The road toward Monaco stretched long and deceptive, cutting through borders that existed more on paper than in reality. Matteo drove steadily, the car packed with careful efficiency, documents secured, devices shielded, contingency bags hidden beneath the seats.

Lucia sat in the back, silent, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Once we cross into France," Matteo said, "we assume we're being watched."

Isabella nodded. "We already should."

A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "Good."

They stopped once, briefly, at a quiet service station. Matteo scanned the area before allowing them out of the car. Isabella noticed how Lucia stayed close to her, as though proximity could offer protection.

In the mirror above the sink, Isabella barely recognized herself. She looked sharper somehow. More awake. Fear had burned away softness she hadn't realized she carried.

By midday, the Mediterranean appeared, blue, endless, indifferent. Monaco rose from the water like a polished lie, all glass and wealth and carefully curated beauty. Isabella felt a flicker of anger at the sight. This was where the numbers led. Where silence was purchased and buried beneath luxury.

They checked into a discreet hotel overlooking the port. Matteo insisted on separate rooms, though he remained close enough that Isabella could feel his presence even through walls.

"This is where we slow down," he said once they were inside her room. "We observe before we act."

Isabella set her bag down. "The transfer happens this afternoon."

"And exposure happens after," he replied. "We don't rush into a nest of vipers without knowing where they sleep."

She crossed her arms. "People like De Luca rely on delay."

"And people like you rely on precision," he countered.

The tension between them crackled, sharp but controlled. Finally, Isabella exhaled. "Fine. Observation."

Matteo inclined his head. "Good."

Lucia left shortly after, citing a meeting with an old contact. Matteo didn't like it but allowed it under protest.

When they were alone again, Matteo handed Isabella a small device. "Encrypted phone. Only three contacts. Mine. Lucia's. And a dead drop line."

She turned it over in her hand. "This feels final."

"It's meant to," he said.

Hours passed slowly. Isabella reviewed documents, refining her report, cross-referencing last minute updates Matteo fed her. Outside, yachts glided across the water, oblivious to the tension coiled beneath the city's glamour.

At precisely three in the afternoon, Matteo's phone buzzed.

"They've started," he said.

Isabella's pulse quickened. "Where?"

"Private financial suite near the port. Restricted access."

She closed her laptop. "Then that's where we go."

Matteo studied her. "You stay here."

"No," she said simply.

"This isn't negotiable."

"It is," she replied. "Without me, this is just suspicion. With me, it's proof."

Silence stretched. Matteo's jaw tightened.

"You get one chance," he said finally. "You follow my instructions exactly."

"I always do," Isabella said.

He almost smiled.

They approached the building on foot, blending into the crowd. Matteo moved slightly ahead, clearing paths without drawing attention. Isabella kept her gaze forward, heart pounding but steps steady.

Inside, the air was cool and hushed. Matteo guided her toward a service corridor, bypassing the main entrance. A security guard glanced at them, then looked away when Matteo murmured something low and authoritative.

They reached a narrow hallway lined with closed doors.

"Stay close," Matteo whispered.

At the end of the hall, voices drifted through thin walls. Isabella recognized one immediately, smooth, confident, edged with amusement.

Alessandro De Luca.

Matteo positioned her near a vented panel. "Record," he murmured.

She activated the device, holding her breath.

"...once the transfer completes," De Luca was saying, "there will be no loose ends."

"And the woman?" another voice asked.

De Luca chuckled. "She was never important."

Something cold and focused settled over Isabella.

They had what they needed.

As Matteo signaled to leave, the corridor lights flickered. Footsteps echoed behind them.

"Move," Matteo hissed.

They rounded a corner and collided with security.

Matteo reacted instantly, shoving Isabella behind him. "Run," he said sharply.

She hesitated only a second before obeying.

Isabella sprinted down the corridor, lungs burning, the sound of pursuit loud in her ears. She burst through a side exit into blinding sunlight, heart hammering wildly.

Her phone vibrated.

NOW.

She ducked into a café, hands shaking as she sent the files through the dead drop, initiating the delayed release to regulators and journalists across Europe.

A shadow fell over her table.

"Isabella Moretti."

She looked up.

Alessandro De Luca stood before her, impeccably dressed, smiling as though they were old acquaintances.

"You've caused quite a stir," he said pleasantly.

She forced herself to stand. "You don't know me."

"No," he agreed. "I should have."

Security closed in around them.

"You're very brave," De Luca continued. "But bravery without power is foolish."

She met his gaze steadily. "You confuse power with noise."

Something flickered in his eyes. "Come with me. We'll discuss this privately."

Before she could respond, chaos erupted.

Shouts. A crash. Matteo barreled into the scene, disarming one guard with brutal efficiency. Another lunged. Matteo blocked him, moving with controlled violence.

"Go!" he shouted.

Isabella didn't need to be told twice.

She ran again, this time toward the harbor, weaving through startled tourists. Sirens wailed in the distance.

At the water's edge, she stopped, gasping, and turned.

Matteo emerged moments later, blood trickling from a cut near his temple but eyes sharp and alive.

"We need to disappear," he said.

"Did it send?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Everything."

Relief flashed across his face, brief but profound.

Then his phone buzzed again.

"They're moving," he said grimly. "Authorities. Press."

Isabella laughed breathlessly, on the edge of hysteria. "My mother would have loved this."

Matteo took her hands, grounding her. "This isn't over."

"I know," she said. "But it's started."

They melted into the crowd as helicopters thudded overhead.

Behind them, Monaco's perfect façade began to crack.

And for the first time, Isabella Moretti was not running to hide.

She was running toward the truth.