Chapter 2 - THE WARNING BEHIND THE SMILE
Norah had barely stepped off the dance floor when a massive hand closed around her upper arm.
“Come with me.”
Valente's voice was low and threatening.
Norah looked at his hand.
“Let go.”
He tightened his grip.
“You embarrassed the family.”
Before Norah could respond, Elliot stepped between them.
“Release her.”
Valente stared at him.
“Stay out of this, kid.”
Elliot's expression remained perfectly serious.
“You are applying approximately twice the pressure necessary to hold someone's arm. She's in pain.”
Valente laughed.
“Listen to the little professor.”
Then Elliot said something that made the laughter disappear.
“I also know you entered my father's private office at 9:43 tonight.”
Valente froze.
“What?”
“You were carrying a blue envelope. You stayed for six minutes and twelve seconds. When you left, the envelope was gone.”
Across the ballroom, Enzo turned sharply.
Norah noticed.
And suddenly she understood that Elliot's attention to detail was more than a personal trait.
It made him dangerous to people with secrets.
“That's enough,” Dominic thundered.
Valente released Norah.
Elliot stepped back immediately, clearly uncomfortable with so many people watching him.
Dominic approached.
For the first time all evening, he looked directly at his youngest son.
“Where did you hear that?”
“I didn't hear it,” Elliot replied. “I saw it.”
Dominic's face hardened.
“Go upstairs.”
Elliot glanced at Norah.
“I don't want to.”
The ballroom went completely silent.
Enzo laughed bitterly.
“Look at that. One dance with a waitress, and suddenly he thinks he can challenge his father.”
Dominic raised his hand.
“Enough, Enzo.”
Norah expected him to defend Elliot.
Instead, he turned to her.
“Miss, whatever your name is, you're finished here. Collect your belongings.”
Elliot's face drained of color.
“She did nothing wrong.”
“Upstairs. Now.”
Norah gently nodded toward the hallway.
“It's okay, Elliot.”
But as she turned away, he caught her attention with four quiet words.
“Check your apron pocket.”
In the employee locker room, Norah found a folded piece of paper tucked beside her order pad.
Written in neat, carefully spaced handwriting was a license plate number.
Beneath it, Elliot had written:
This car has followed you for three nights.
May you like
And underneath that:
I think my brother knows who you really are.
