Chapter 3 Cross Examination

Luciana's office was dark except for the pale blue light from her laptop. It was late too late for anyone to be working unless they were on a warpath.

Which, of course, she was.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up the most recent public records on Casella Logistics. On the surface, it looked clean-just another import/export company based out of Naples with a neat little office suite in downtown Rome.

But Luciana knew how to read between the lines.

Three shell companies. All dissolved within weeks of being served a subpoena. One of them had changed hands three days before her request even left her desk.

It wasn't luck she certainly didn't believe in this type of coincidences. It was a warning.

Someone was watching her moves. Someone close. They weren't just watching they were leaking her information to the Romano family.

Her jaw clenched as she leaned back in her chair and stared at the spreadsheet she'd built. Names, dayes, transactions, offshore accounts. Several trails leading right back to the Romano building, suite 405-an address she now saw in her sleep.

She crossed her arms and studied the board behind her, where sticky notes were scattered like landmines.

Bellavita Imports. Casella Logistics. Romano Holdings.

These names sounded too familiar only that she couldn't really tell where she had seen them.

They weren't just business fronts. They were barriers. Each one designed to keep her from seeing what really mattered.

The truth about her father.

She remembered the way Alexander had looked at her in court-like he knew exactly what she was trying to find. Like he was daring her to keep going.

She would.

Her phone buzzed suddenly, breaking the silence. She grabbed it. Blocked number. Again.

Luciana answered sharply. "Who is this?"

Silence.

She heard faint breathing... then a click.

She lowered the phone, her stomach tightening in both anger and fear.

The calls had started two weeks ago. No voice. No threats just silence that pissed her off. But the message was clear someone wanted her to back off.

She glanced out the window. Across the street, a dark SUV idled for the second night in a row.

She narrowed her eyes.

Coincidence? Again she didn't believe in those.

Alexander sat in the back of his car, watching the live feed from the camera across Luciana's street. The black SUV parked at a distance looked like any other government vehicle. Plain and unremarkable. Exactly how he'd ordered it.

"She's getting close," his cousin Marco said quietly, eyeing the screen. "You really want to let her dig?"

Alexander didn't answer at first. He watched Luciana lean against her window, unaware she was being watched. He wasn't just watching her for pleasure though, it was to protect her.

"Someone's been sniffing around her car," Alexander said. "A message was left last night. No name but subtle enough to mean business."

"She's a lawyer, isn't it better if someone else takes care of her." Marco said unimpressed. "In her line of work and from her attitude its no surprise if she has multiple enemies. She knew what she signed up for."

"She didn't sign up for this." His tone dropped, cold and final and Marco didn't reply again.

Alexander rubbed his thumb over his ring and sighed. He should've walked away after that first courtroom clash. Should've let her chase ghosts and trip over her own feet.

But every time she opened her mouth in court she was sharp, relentless, unyielding and he felt something stir.

Not admiration.

Not attraction.

Not yet.

But... curiosity.

She was a problem. And he'd never been good at leaving problems unsolved.

One thing he was sure of though was if she kept pulling threads, the whole thing would unravel-and get her killed in the process.

That, he couldn't allow.

---

By morning, Luciana's whiteboard was covered in red string and scribbled notes, her caffeine count was crazy high.

Carla her clerk walked in and nearly dropped her coffee. "Holy crime scene, Batman."

Luciana didn't look up. "Pull every property Casella has touched in the last six months. I want building permits, invoices, shipment manifests, everything."

Sarah set her coffee down warily. "You're gonna give yourself a stroke when was the last time you had a proper meal."

"I'm close," Luciana muttered. "I can feel it."

"To what? Burning out? Or getting sued?"

Luciana finally turned to her clerk. "He knows when I'm coming. Every time I move, he ducks a second before I land the punch."

Carla blinked. "You think Romano has a mole?"

"I think he is the mole," Luciana said, lowering her voice . "Or someone in this office is feeding him intel."

Carla shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't worry," Luciana said. "I don't think it's you."

"Thanks. I think."

Luciana turned back to her board. "Romano's always two steps ahead. And now-"

She stopped midway her eyes widening.

"What?" Carla asked.

Luciana walked to her desk and opened her father's old investigation journal. Tucked in the middle was a fading memo

Bellavita Imports. Romano Holdings.

That's why they sounded so familiar she had seen them before

"Dad was looking into them before he disappeared," she whispered. "It wasn't just business. He was following the money."

Sarah peered over her shoulder. "You think Alexander had something to do with it?"

"No. But i think he knows who did it"

And that was enough to make her want to bury him in court.

**

Later that day, Alexander stepped into his father's office. The place smelled like cigars and oakwood. The interior looked like any other executive office something he would change when it finally became his.

Riccardo sat at his desk glasses on. He was going through something on a tab.

"You are here. The laundering case has been dragged on for too long I'm assigning Marco to wrap it up cleanly."

Alexander eyes narrowed and he felt a little tightening in his chest. He had a vague idea what it meant for Luciana.

Riccardo handed his son a surveillance photos of Luciana driving past different outlet of theirs.

"She is getting too close. Too tenacious. I have no idea why you feel the need to drag it out but it ends now before she knows too much. The more she knows the harder it is for her to remain alive."

"I will handle everything about the case and Fester by myself. I have never let you down so let me clean this up alone."

***

Luciana made her wsy to the Romano building just after dark.

She wore jeans and a hoodie all black. She was there fully aware she could be arrested and sued for trespassing.

No cameras were in the building according to her research. Inside, the lobby was quiet. She held her taser in her pocket tighter and climbed to the fourth floor.

Suite 405. Romano Holdings. This was her target she was here to find its secrets by herself

She pressed her ear to the door. There was no sounds of movement it was quiet like she expected.

With shaking hands, she picked the lock thinking of how many charges she was acquiring and her sentence if she happened to be caught.

The door clicked open.

She stepped into a clean, sleek office. Marble floors. Glass walls. Corporate art. But it was empty asides that signs that it was never used.

She moved toward the desk and started snapping pictures of every and anything left behind. A sound from behind her had her stopping

Footsteps.

She instantly turned around her heart racing seeing as there was nowhere to hide.

Alexander stood in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"Breaking and entering, counselor?" he said coolly. "Now that's not very legal of you."

Luciana's breath caught, but she didn't back down. "I should've known you'd be here."

"I could say the same." He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "Care to tell me why you're photographing my accountant's desk?"

"You mean your laundromat?" she snapped for some reason she didn't feel as scared as she ought to. "Casella Logistics. Bellavita. They are all a front right."

He tilted his head looking somewhat amused. "Is that what you think?"

"I know it." She said putting her phone in her pocket heading for the door. She was done here.

"i doubt you can prove it though."

"I will."

They stood inches apart.

"You always this stubborn?" he asked softly.

"You always this annoying?"

"Only around people who break into my office."

"Your family has blood on its hands," she said. "You know what happened to my father."

His expression flickered he had suspected she was doing this for her father and this confirmed it also making complications.

"Luciana-"

"Don't say my name like you know me."

"I'm trying to keep you alive. You should end this case easily. Just forget doing anything leave it for me to handle"

That made her laugh not necessarily because she was amused. "So this is your tactics, disguising as my saviour. I'd very much prefer if you straight up threatened me... You have people following me don't you"

"They're not thugs. They're for your protection."

Her eyes narrowed she had just said that without proof. She didn't actually believe it was him. "Why would you want to protect me?"

He didn't answer right away.

"I'm not the one who made your father disappear. I was only a teenager when he disappeared 15 years ago" he said

"But you know who did."

He didn't deny it.

And that was all she needed.

She shoved past him, her voice cold. "You're not a mystery, Alexander. When I'm done you'll be begging to tell me all I need to know"

He caught her arm and held on firmly. "Why won't you listen and see I'm trying to help you. I could arrest you for trespassing this instant or-"

"Or what make me disappear like my father. Let me go."

He did.

She walked out without looking back. But his hand still burned where it had touched her.