Chapter 9 - The Trusted Voice.
Everyone looked at Naomi.
She did not deny it.
Emily stepped away from her.
"You betrayed us."
"No."
"Your phone gave them Noah."
"My phone was cloned months ago."
Luca watched her carefully.
"Can you prove that?"
Naomi removed a small plastic evidence bag from her coat.
Inside was a duplicate SIM card she had found taped beneath her office desk that morning.
Daniel Cross examined it.
"This is how they mirrored your calls."
Emily still looked unconvinced.
"Then who planted it?"
Cross pulled up another image.
Marcus Vale entered Naomi's office building three weeks earlier using a maintenance credential.
Luca's anger sharpened.
"Marcus again."
"Marcus is a door," Cross said.
"Victoria is the hand using him."
Emily finally took Noah from Cross.
She held him so tightly that Dr. Pierce had to remind her to let him breathe comfortably.
The baby's fever had begun to fall.
For the first time all night, Emily allowed herself to cry from relief.
Luca watched quietly.
Then Cross placed a thick federal case file on the table.
"We have investigated the Scorpion Circle for four years."
"And you still haven't arrested Victoria?"
"We had witnesses disappear, records erased, and judges recuse themselves."
Cross pointed at the black ledger.
"That can change things."
Luca did not hand it over.
"My father tried trusting the system."
"Your father also hid evidence for twenty years."
The room became tense.
Emily stepped between them.
"Enough."
She looked at Luca.
"If the ledger can stop them from coming after Noah, use it."
Luca slowly placed it on the table.
Cross scanned several pages.
Then his expression changed.
"This is not enough."
"What do you mean?"
"The ledger proves old payments."
"It does not prove Victoria controls the Circle today."
Naomi understood first.
"You need her speaking."
Cross nodded.
"We need a confession or a current transaction tied directly to her."
Luca looked toward the sleeping infant.
"She wants Noah and the original trust documents."
Thomas spoke from the doorway.
"There is one place she will come personally for both."
Everyone turned to him.
"The Cafalli Foundation gala is tomorrow night."
Naomi stared at Luca.
"Half of New York's business elite will be there."
"So will Victoria."
Cross shook his head.
"Too public."
"Exactly," Luca replied.
"She will believe I cannot move against her without destroying the Cafalli name."
Emily looked at him.
"What are you planning?"
Luca's expression became frighteningly calm.
"I am going to let my aunt believe she finally won."
His phone vibrated.
A message from Victoria appeared.
I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
May you like
A second message arrived immediately.
AND THIS TIME, I AM COMING FOR EMILY FIRST.
