Chapter 7 - A Dangerous Alliance
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“Is there a problem, Sloan?” Fallon asked softly, his dark eyes narrowing as he stepped into the study.
Sloan’s heart battered against her ribcage like a trapped bird. She quickly picked up her spray bottle and a microfiber cloth, pretending to scrub a nonexistent stain on the leather sofa.
“No, Mr. Caruso,” she said, forcing her voice to remain steady. “Just finishing the dusting. This room gets very dusty.”
He didn't move. He stood perfectly still, watching her with a terrifying, predatory stillness. For agonizing seconds, he just stared. Then, slowly, he walked past her and sat behind his desk.
“You can leave,” he commanded, opening a folder.
Sloan practically bolted from the room. She hurried down the long corridor, her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold her cleaning caddy. She needed to tell someone. The burden of what she just saw was too heavy to carry alone.
She found Leo in the carriage house behind the main garage, sharpening a set of pruning shears at his workbench.
“Leo,” Sloan gasped, shutting the wooden door tightly behind her. “You were right. About the leverage.”
Leo stopped sharpening. He put the shears down and turned to face her, his eyes suddenly sharp and focused. “What did you find, Sloan?”
“In his study,” she whispered, stepping closer, terrified the walls were listening. “There’s a safe. Someone left it open. I looked inside.”
“Are you insane?” Leo hissed, grabbing her arm. “If Fallon catches you—”
“Listen to me!” Sloan interrupted, shaking off his grip. “I found a ledger. A black book. It lists bribes, hits, everything. And Leo… I saw an entry from the day his wife died. Isabella Caruso’s death wasn't an accident. Someone paid for it. And it’s in that book.”
Leo’s entire demeanor shifted. The casual handyman disappeared, replaced by something much more dangerous and calculated.
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” Leo asked, his voice dead serious.
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“I saw it with my own eyes,” Sloan said. “If we get that book, we can destroy this whole family.”
Leo smiled slowly. “We don't need the book yet. We need a distraction first. We need chaos. It’s time to post that video.”
