CHAPTER EIGHT: THE JUDAS KISS
"You're not touching that door."
Dominic's arm locked across my chest holding me back from the nursery. My head of security was on the floor bleeding from a cut above his eye. There was a note on Lucas' door in handwriting I didn't recognize.
A life for a life.
"Get out of my way " I said.
"Not until we know what's behind it " he replied.
"That's my sons room."
"That's why we're not rushing in." He pulled out his phone with his hand. "Martinez get a bomb squad here now."
"A bomb?" My voice cracked. "You think there's a bomb in there?"
"I think there's a woman who kidnapped our son five years after she tried to destroy us. I'm not taking any chances."
He was right. I hated that he was right.
My hands were shaking badly. I put them in my pockets.
"How long until they get here?" I asked.
"Ten minutes " he said.
"That's too long."
"That's protocol " he replied.
"I don't care about protocol. I care about—"
"I know what you care about " he said, his voice low. ". If we go in there and something happens to you then Luca loses both of us. Is that what you want?"
No. God, no.
I stepped back. Dominic's arm dropped,. He stayed close.
"We need to find her " I said.
"We will " he replied.
"When? After shes already—"
"Don't finish that sentence " he said, his hand on my face turning me toward him. "We're going to find him. We're going to get him back.. We have to be smart about this."
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that our security and resources would be enough.
Every second we stood there was another second Luca was gone.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number. Again.
I answered before Dominic could stop me.
"Where is he?" I asked.
Margaret laughed. "Straight to business. I like that about you, Aria. No small talk."
"Answer the question " I said.
"He's safe. For now. Playing with blocks in a room thats nicer than that panic room you've been hiding him in."
My chest tightened. "If you hurt him—"
"I'm not a monster. I'm a businesswoman " she said. "There's a difference."
"Then what do you want?" I asked.
"I already told you. Your shares. Your vote. Your exit " she replied.
". If I give you all of that you'll just hand him back?" I asked.
"Eventually " she said.
"That's not good enough " I said.
"It's the offer you're getting " she said. "Unless you'd like to hear the alternative."
Dominic grabbed the phone from my hand. Put it on speaker.
"Margaret " he said, his voice calm. "This is your nephew. The one you've known since he was six years old."
"Dominic. How nice to hear your voice " she said.
"Where's my son?" Dominic asked.
"Your son " she laughed. "You've known about him for what a week? And suddenly you're a father?"
"Answer the question " Dominic said.
". What? You'll have me arrested? You'll freeze my accounts?" Her voice sharpened. "You have no leverage here. I have the child. I have the evidence. I have everything I need to destroy both of you."
"You have a five-year- boy who did nothing to you " I said. "Let him go."
"I will. Once you've done what I asked " she said.
". If we don't believe you?" I asked.
"Then I suppose you'll find out what happens when you refuse me " she said. "It won't be pleasant. For any of you."
The line went dead.
Dominic threw the phone across the room. It shattered against the wall.
"Shes bluffing " he said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because killing Luca doesn't get her what she wants. She needs us to do what she says " he replied.
"She has leverage. She has our son " I said.
"Which means he's valuable alive. Not dead " he said. He turned to face me. "We're going to find him, Aria. I promise you that."
"How?" I asked.
"By doing what she doesn't expect " he said, pulling out his phone. "We're staging a fight. A public one. Make it look like our marriage is falling apart."
"What good does that do?" I asked.
"It forces whoever's feeding her information to make contact " he said. ". When they do we trace it."
"That could take days " I said.
"Or hours. Depends how desperate they are to prove their loyalty " he replied.
I stared at him. "You think someone in your security team is working for her."
"I know someone is. The question is who " he said.
The bomb squad arrived. Six people in gear who swept the nursery and came back with results that made my knees weak.
"It's clear " the lead tech said. "No explosives. No biological agents. Just the note."
They handed it to Dominic in an evidence bag.
"A life for a life" was written in block letters. No signature. No explanation.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
Dominic's jaw was tight. "It means she wants something in value to what shes taken."
"Lucas life isn't a trade " I said.
"No. But mine might be " he said.
My blood went cold. "What are you talking about?"
"She didn't just take Luca to get your shares. She took him to force me out " he said.
"So we give her the company " I said.
". Then what? She has everything and we have nothing " he replied.
"Then what do we do?" I asked.
He looked at me. Really looked. Like he was memorizing my face.
"We make her think shes won. And then we take everything from her " he said.
The press conference was scheduled for eight pm.
Dominic and I stood backstage not speaking. Not touching. Playing our parts.
"Ready?" he asked.
"No " I replied.
"Good. Neither am I " he said.
We walked out together. Cameras flashed. Reporters shouted questions.
Dominic stepped to the microphone first.
"I'm here to address the speculation about my personal life and its impact on Voss Industries. The short answer is there is no impact. My marriage to Aria Morriston is a matter and has no bearing on my ability to lead this company."
A reporter shouted from the back. "Is it true she bought fifteen percent of Voss stock without your knowledge?"
"Ms Morriston is an investor. Her acquisition of shares was done legally " Dominic replied.
"Is it true your son was kept secret from you for five years?" a reporter asked.
Dominic's jaw tightened. "My family is not up for discussion."
"Then why are you here?" a reporter asked.
"To make it clear that any rumors about instability or scandal are that. Rumors " he said. He looked at me. "Aria?"
I stepped forward. Tried to ignore the fact that my hands were shaking.
"I'm here to support my husband and to clarify that Morriston Tech will continue to operate of Voss Industries " I said.
"Are you denying that your marriage is a contract arrangement?" a reporter asked.
"I'm denying that it's anyone's business but ours " I replied.
The room erupted.
Dominic's hand found mine. Squeezed once.
Then he let go.
"Actually " he said, his voice cutting through the noise. "I do have one thing to say."
The room went quiet.
He looked at me.. I saw it. The apology, in his eyes. The warning.
"This marriage was a mistake " he said.
My breath stopped.
"It was entered into for reasons that no longer apply. Effective immediately I'm filing for an annulment " he said.
The cameras went insane.
I stood frozen. Knew this was the plan. Knew we'd rehearsed this scenario an hour ago.
Hearing him say it still hurt a lot.
"Aria and I have decided to separate without any problems " he said. "She can keep her shares in Voss Industries. I wish her all the best."
He walked off the stage.
I was left standing by myself.
I tried to smile. I nodded. I walked away like my world wasn't falling apart.
Backstage, Dominic was waiting for me.
"That was good " I said.
"Was it too good?"
"Maybe."
He pulled me into a storage room. He locked the door. He pressed me against the wall. Kissed me like he was desperate and I was his only hope.
I kissed him back. I let myself enjoy it. I let myself forget for a seconds that we were playing a game where our sons life was at stake.
His phone buzzed.
He pulled back. Checked it.
"We have a problem " he said. "Someone just got into the server from inside the building."
"Who?"
"I'm checking now." He was already looking at surveillance feeds on his phone. "Third floor. Executive wing."
"That's where your aunts office is."
"I know."
We took the stairs. We moved fast and quiet.
The hallway was empty when we got there.
Margaret's office door was open.
Inside someone was sitting at her desk. They were going through files. Uploading data to a drive.
It wasn't Margaret.
It was Sarah.
Lucas nanny. The woman I had trusted with my sons life.
She looked up. She saw us. She didn't run.
"I'm sorry " she said.
Dominic had his gun out before I could understand what was happening.
"Where is he?" His voice was very angry.
"I don't know. I promise I don't know. She didn't tell me that."
"What did she tell you?"
"She said if I helped her I would be taken care of. She said my family would be safe. She said—" Her voice broke. "She has my daughter. Shes had her for three months and if I don't do what she says—"
"So you betrayed my son to save yours?"
"I didn't know she was going to take him. I thought she just wanted information. I thought—"
"You thought wrong." He looked at me. "Call Martinez. Have her arrested."
I pulled out my phone.
That's when I saw it.
A message. Sent ninety seconds ago while we were in the stairwell.
From Margaret's number.
To mine.
One line.
You have twelve hours to transfer the shares. I will start sending pieces of him back.
Below it. A picture.
A photo.
Of Luca.
Tied to a chair.
Crying.
And standing behind him with a knife, to his throat was someone I knew.
Someone who was supposed to be dead.
Dominic's mother.
She was alive.
Smiling.