"Did you drive her?"
"No, sir. She said I should stay here to wait for you and let you know, she would take one of the drivers. Turns out she ended up taking a rideshare."
Ice slides down my spine. "Did you verify the clinic called?"
Pause. "No, sir."
"Send me the rideshare details. Now."
"Already sent to your secure email."
I hang up. Pull up my email. The rideshare information loads—black sedan, driver named Michael Chen, pickup at my address at 9:55 pm.
I call the rideshare company's emergency line. Flash my credentials—the kind that open doors and bypass privacy laws.
"The vehicle with license plate 7JFK892. I need its current location."
Keys clicking. "That vehicle... sir, according to our GPS, it's parked on 42nd Street. Has been for the last forty minutes."
"Was the ride completed?"
"Shows as completed at 10:01 pm. The car never moved after stopping on 42nd."
She was taken.
The sedan was a trap. They intercepted her within minutes of pickup.
My phone rings. Giulio.
I consider not answering. But something tells me this call is part of it. Part of whatever Caterina has planned.
"What."
"Have you seen it?" His voice is sharp. Triumphant. "The article?"
"What article."
"About your woman. Your escort. It's everywhere. They’ve shared photos, client lists, every detail."
I say nothing. Let him talk.
"You've compromised the family. Made us weak. A Vitale doesn't marry a whore, Dante. You've destroyed your credibility. Your position. This is a disaster. Matteo will remove you. The other families will demand it."
I end the call.
Then I pull up the article.
He's right. It's everywhere. Top story on gossip sites. Trending on social media. Photos of Bianca at restaurants, leaving hotels.
The headline:VITALE'S FIANCÉE: SECRET LIFE AS HIGH-END ESCORT EXPOSED.
Below it, detailed accounts. Dates. Prices. Names coded but obvious.
Caterina's work. Thorough. Released at exactly the right moment to cause maximum damage.
But something's wrong with the timing.
My father called me within minutes of the article dropping. Too fast. Like he was waiting for it and he knew it was coming.
