Chapter 17: “Too Fast”

Tayla’s POV

I didn’t sleep.

Not even for a minute.

How could I?

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the man standing in the hallway.

Watching me.

Waiting.

The image refused to leave my head.

By sunrise, the penthouse was filled with police officers.

Questions.

Photographs.

Fingerprints.

Investigators moving from room to room.

Yet none of it made me feel safer.

Because whoever broke into my home had already accomplished what they wanted.

They scared me.

And they knew it.

Noah sat beside me on the couch clutching his stuffed shark.

The poor child looked exhausted.

His eyes were red.

His small hands trembled occasionally.

Every time he heard a loud sound, he flinched.

That alone filled me with rage.

Whoever did this had terrified my son.

And for that, I would never forgive them.

A detective approached.

“Mrs. Russo.”

I looked up.

“We found signs of forced entry through the emergency stairwell.”

My stomach tightened.

“So someone was really here.”

The detective nodded.

“Yes.”

The confirmation sent another chill through me.

Because part of me had hoped it was stress.

A misunderstanding.

My imagination.

But it wasn’t.

Someone had entered my home.

Someone had searched Damian’s office.

Someone had stolen every piece of evidence.

The detective continued.

“Do you know anyone who might want access to your husband’s files?”

Immediately, Damian’s warning echoed inside my head.

Not with him.

My throat tightened.

“No.”

The lie felt heavy.

Because now…

I wasn’t sure anymore.

The front door suddenly opened.

A familiar voice filled the room.

“Tayla!”

Luca.

Of course.

The moment he entered, his face was filled with concern.

His eyes immediately found Noah.

Then me.

Then the police.

He looked shocked.

Almost too shocked.

“I came as soon as I heard.”

The words hit me strangely.

Because suddenly…

A question entered my mind.

How?

How did he hear so quickly?

The break-in happened only hours ago.

I hadn’t called him.

The police hadn’t called him.

So how did he know?

The thought made my pulse quicken.

Luca crossed the room and knelt beside Noah.

“Are you okay, buddy?”

Noah immediately hugged him.

The sight should have comforted me.

Instead it made me uncomfortable.

Because for the first time…

I found myself studying Luca.

Watching him.

Questioning him.

The way Damian had.

The realization frightened me.

Across the city…

Damian sat in the visitation room.

But Tayla wasn’t there.

His lawyer was.

And judging by his expression, the news wasn’t good.

Not at all.

“What happened?”

The lawyer sat heavily.

His face pale.

Tense.

“She’s gone.”

Damian froze.

The words hit like ice water.

“Who?”

The lawyer swallowed.

“The witness.”

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then Damian stood abruptly.

“No.”

The chair scraped loudly against the floor.

“No.”

His lawyer lowered his eyes.

“We lost contact with her yesterday.”

Damian’s stomach dropped.

Because he knew exactly what that meant.

The witness wasn’t just missing.

She was silenced.

And if Luca was willing to eliminate witnesses…

Then Tayla was in far more danger than he realized.

Back at the penthouse…

The police finally left.

The apartment felt empty again.

Too empty.

Luca stayed.

Of course he stayed.

He always stayed.

Noah had fallen asleep on the couch.

Exhausted from fear.

Exhausted from crying.

Exhausted from everything.

Luca carefully carried him to bed.

I watched silently.

Trying to understand my own feelings.

Part of me appreciated him.

Another part didn’t trust him anymore.

And those two emotions were beginning to tear me apart.

When he returned, neither of us spoke immediately.

The silence stretched.

Heavy.

Awkward.

Then Luca sat beside me.

Closer than usual.

“You’re shaking.”

I looked down.

He was right.

My hands were trembling.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me.”

His voice was soft.

Comforting.

Dangerously comforting.

For a moment, I almost leaned into it.

Almost.

Then I remembered the notebook.

The photographs.

The warning.

And I pulled away slightly.

The movement was small.

But Luca noticed.

His eyes darkened briefly.

“What’s wrong?”

I forced a smile.

“Nothing.”

Another lie.

Another silence.

Then Luca surprised me.

“You’re afraid of me.”

My breath caught.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

“What?”

His gaze never left mine.

“Ever since yesterday.”

My heart pounded.

Because he wasn’t wrong.

I was afraid.

Not of the man sitting beside me.

Of what he might be hiding.

That night, after Luca left, I couldn’t stop thinking.

About the break-in.

About Damian.

About Luca.

About everything.

Eventually, I walked back into Damian’s office.

The empty drawer stared back at me.

Mocking me.

Reminding me that I was running out of time.

Then something caught my eye.

A tiny piece of paper.

Hidden beneath the desk.

My pulse immediately quickened.

Slowly, I picked it up.

It looked torn.

Like part of a larger document.

There were only a few words still visible.

Most of the page was missing.

But one line remained.

And it made my blood run cold.

”…payment authorized by L. Russo…”

I stared.

Read it again.

Then again.

My hands began shaking.

Because there were only two Russo brothers.

Damian.

And Luca.

And somehow…

I already knew which one it was.