Aria

Back at the safe house, Leo placed the metal box on his desk. The lock was old but solid. Leo produced a set of lock picks from his drawer, and within minutes, the lock clicked open.

Inside were documents, photographs, and what looked like USB drives. Leo pulled out the documents first, scanning them quickly. His expression grew darker with each page.

"What is it?" I asked.

He handed me a photograph. It showed Thompson, Marcus's father, and three other men I didn't recognize. They were standing in front of a warehouse, shaking hands.

"Look at the date," Leo said.

The photograph was dated three years ago. Long before my father's trouble started.

Leo pulled out more documents. Financial records, shipping manifests, coded communications. It was evidence of a massive money laundering operation, using multiple businesses as fronts.

"Your father knew," Leo said. "He knew about all of it."

"Then why didn't he go to the police?" I asked.

Leo pulled out another document. It was a threat against me and my mother, detailed and specific. If my father talked, we would pay the price.

"He was protecting you," Leo said softly.

Tears burned my eyes. My father had carried this burden alone, trying to shield us from danger.

Leo inserted one of the USB drives into his computer. Files popped up on the screen. More evidence, including recordings of conversations. We listened to Thompson discussing the operation with someone whose voice was disguised but who was clearly in charge.

"We need to move the timeline up," the disguised voice said. "Martinez is getting suspicious."

"What about his family?" Thompson asked.

"If necessary, they can be eliminated. But it would be cleaner to simply frame him. Make him take the fall for everything."

My hands clenched into fists. They had planned it all.

Leo was studying another document, his expression strange.

"What?" I asked.

He showed me the paper. It was a list of names involved in the operation. At the top was someone I didn't expect.

Isabella Ashford.

Leo's own daughter.

"No," Leo said, shaking his head. "This has to be wrong."

But as he dug deeper into the files, more evidence emerged. Isabella had been funneling money through her personal accounts. She had signed documents. She had been at meetings.

Leo sank into his chair, looking suddenly older.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

"I should have seen it," he said, his voice hollow. "I should have known."

"Maybe she was forced," I suggested. "Like my father."

Leo looked up at me, and I saw hope flicker in his eyes. Then his phone rang.

"Yes?" he answered. His face paled as he listened. "Where? Is she hurt? I'm on my way."

He hung up and stood abruptly.

"What happened?" I asked.

"There's been an accident," he said, grabbing his keys. "Isabella's car went off the road. She's in the hospital."

"I'm coming with you," I said.

"No," he said firmly. "It could be a trap."

"Leo," I said, touching his arm. "You shouldn't be alone right now."

He looked at me for a long moment, then nodded.

As we drove to the hospital, I wondered if Isabella's accident was really an accident at all.

And if it wasn't, who was trying to silence her?

The hospital corridors smelled of disinfectant and fear. Leo walked with long strides, and I had to almost run to keep up with him. His face was set in hard lines, but I could see the worry in his eyes.

Isabella's room was at the end of the hall, guarded by two of Leo's security men. They nodded as we passed. Inside, Isabella lay on the white hospital bed, her face pale and bruised. Her left arm was in a cast, and there were bandages around her head.

Marcus was there.

He stood by her bedside, holding her good hand. When he saw us, his expression turned cold.

"Get out," Leo said to Marcus, his voice deadly quiet.

"I'm her fiancé," Marcus protested. "I have every right to be here."

"You have no rights when it comes to my daughter," Leo said. "Leave. Now."

Marcus looked like he wanted to argue, but something in Leo's expression made him think better of it. He squeezed Isabella's hand once more, then walked past us. When he passed me, he whispered, "This isn't over."

A chill ran down my spine.

Leo moved to Isabella's bedside, his hand gently touching her forehead. For a moment, the ruthless businessman disappeared, replaced by a worried father.

Isabella's eyes fluttered open. "Dad?" she said weakly.

"I'm here," Leo said softly. "What happened?"

"My brakes," she whispered. "They didn't work. I tried to stop, but the car just kept going faster."

Leo and I exchanged glances. Someone had tampered with her car.

"Isabella," Leo said carefully, "I need to ask you something important. Are you involved with Thompson's business dealings?"

Her eyes widened with confusion. "Thompson? From the Martinez company? Why would I be involved with him?"

"Your name was on documents," Leo said. "Financial transfers, meetings."

Isabella struggled to sit up, wincing in pain. "Dad, I've never met Thompson. I don't know anything about financial transfers."

"Someone used your identity," I said, understanding dawning. "Someone with access to your personal information."

Isabella looked at me, seeming to notice me for the first time. "You're Marcus's ex," she said.

I nodded, unsure how she felt about me.

"He talks about you constantly," she said, surprising me. "Even after we got engaged. It's... unsettling."

"Isabella," Leo said, drawing her attention back. "Who has access to your accounts?"

She thought for a moment. "Just me and..." Her face paled. "Marcus. I gave him access after we got engaged. He said it was to help plan the wedding."

Leo's expression turned to stone. "He's been using your accounts to launder money."

"But why would he—" Isabella stopped, her eyes widening. "Oh my God. The prenuptial agreement. If I die before we marry, he gets nothing. But if I die after..."

"He gets everything," Leo finished grimly.

"The wedding is in two weeks," Isabella whispered. "He must have decided it was too risky to wait."

A nurse entered to check Isabella's vitals, and we stepped into the hallway. Leo was on his phone immediately, giving orders to his security team.

"I want Marcus found and watched," he said. "Do not let him leave the city."

When he hung up, he turned to me. "You were right. Isabella was set up, just like your father."

"Marcus is more dangerous than we thought," I said. "He's not just ambitious. He's willing to kill."

Leo's phone buzzed with a message. He read it, and his expression darkened further.

"What?" I asked.

"Andrew says Thompson's body was just found," Leo said. "He's been dead for three days."

"Since the day my father was arrested," I realized. "They killed him to tie up loose ends."

We went back into Isabella's room. She was more alert now, sitting up despite the pain.

"Dad, there's something else," she said. "Last week, Marcus had a meeting with someone at the house. I wasn't supposed to be home, but I came back early. I heard them talking about the Martinez company and something about a shipment coming in next month."

"Did you see who he was meeting with?" Leo asked.

Isabella shook her head. "But I heard a name. Dmitri Volkov."

Leo went very still. I had never heard the name, but clearly Leo had.

"Who is Dmitri Volkov?" I asked.

"Russian mafia," Leo said quietly. "If he's involved, this is bigger than we thought."