Chapter 4 - THE BROTHER WHO WALKED AWAY FROM BILLIONS
Gabriel Falcone had rejected nearly six hundred million dollars.
That was the first thing I learned.
The second was why.
“The offshore account contained payments to private investigators, shell companies, and one transportation firm,” he said.
I felt cold.
“What transportation firm?”
“Atlantic Executive Transit.”
I knew the name.
The truck that hit my mother’s car belonged to Atlantic Executive Transit.
My hands went numb.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“When did you find out?”
“Three years ago.”
“And you didn’t find me?”
Gabriel’s face tightened.
“I tried.”
“Clearly not very hard.”
“Maeve.”
Roman’s voice warned.
“No.”
I stood.
“You people have private jets and armed men. I was working night shifts in Philadelphia. Don’t tell me I was impossible to find.”
Gabriel looked ashamed.
“I found your sister.”
My anger vanished.
“What?”
“Lily.”
My younger sister.
The reason I owed twelve thousand dollars.
“What does she have to do with this?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why did you find her?”
“Because someone else was watching her.”
My stomach twisted.
“Who?”
“We didn’t know.”
Gabriel explained that three years earlier, he discovered medical payments connected to the same shell network.
One payment went to Lily’s specialist.
I stared.
“My sister’s treatment?”
“Yes.”
“Why would anyone pay for part of it?”
“We don’t know.”
“But the bills are destroying us.”
“The payment wasn’t assistance.”
Roman opened another file.
“It was for information.”
I felt sick.
“What information?”
Lily’s diagnosis.
Address.
Emergency contacts.
My employment history.
Everything.
Someone had purchased our lives.
Declan’s jaw tightened.
“That’s when we started looking for you.”
“And you waited until I arrived as a maid?”
Roman answered.
“We didn’t know you were Maeve Carter until this morning.”
“My name is literally on my employment file.”
“Your agency sent Maeve Callahan.”
I froze.
“What?”
Mrs. Hess had called me Carter.
The agency paperwork said Carter.
Didn’t it?
I suddenly couldn’t remember.
Roman handed me a copy.
MAEVE CALLAHAN.
My photo.
My Social Security information partially altered.
My emergency contact removed.
Someone had changed my application.
“Who hired me?”
Declan asked.
Roman went still.
“It wasn’t Mrs. Hess.”
The employment authorization carried an electronic signature.
Victor Falcone.
Their uncle.
Gabriel’s face hardened.
“Our uncle has no authority over domestic staff.”
I stared at the signature.
“Then he put me here.”
Roman nodded.
“For a reason.”
My phone buzzed.
Lily.
I answered immediately.
“Hey.”
No response.
“Lily?”
Then a man spoke.
“Maeve Carter.”
My blood froze.
“Who is this?”
May you like
The voice laughed softly.
“Ask the Falcone brothers why their uncle has your sister.”
Related Stories
