“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me because you were afraid of what would happen when I went after it.”
“People are going to die, Dante. The second you make a move on that cathedral, every family in the city is going to know. It’ll cause a war.”
“It’s already a war, and has been for years.” He stands up and comes around the desk, stopping in front of me. “Why are you telling me now?”
“Because Luca and I are in danger and I can’t protect him alone. And I know the attacks won’t stop until someone finds that ledger. Because…” I swallow hard. “Because lying to you felt wrong.”
An expression passes through his eye, then he reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering against my jaw.
“There’s something else,” I say. “About Viktor.”
His hand stills. “What about him?”
I tell him. The lurking, the way my skin crawls whenever he’s nearby. How I kept quiet because I was scared of causing problems.
Dante’s jaw tightens as he listens. When I finish, there’s a coldness in his expression that wasn’t there before.
“You should have told me immediately.”
“I know. I was scared.”
“Of me?”
“Of being sent away.”
He’s quiet for a long moment. Then he pulls me into his arms and holds me against his chest, his chin resting on top of my head.
“I’m not sending you anywhere,” he says quietly. “And I’m not ignoring your instincts. Viktor’s been with me for fifteen years, but that doesn’t make him above suspicion.”
I let myself lean into him.
“So what do we do now?” I ask.
He pulls back and looks at me. “What do you think we should do?”
The question catches me off guard. He’s asking my opinion, not just informing me of decisions he’s already made.
“I think we need to be smart about it. Small team. People you trust completely. Get in, get the ledger, get out before anyone realizes what’s happening.”
He nods slowly. “Come here.”
He leads me to his desk where the maps are spread out. For the next three hours, we go over everything together. Entry points. Exit strategies. Who to trust. Who to watch.
“The cathedral has three access points.” He pulls up pictures from the media. “The main entrance is too exposed. The side door through the old rectory might work, but we’d need to clear it first.”
“What about underground? Old churches usually have crypts.”
He looks at me with approval. “There’s basement access through a maintenance tunnel two blocks east. Connects to the old subway system.”
“That’s how we get in?”
“Yes.” He pulls out another map, this one showing the surrounding streets. “I’ll need Marco and a team of six. People I trust with my life.”
“What about Viktor?”
“Viktor stays here. Manages estate security while we’re gone.” His expression is neutral, but I can see the calculation behind his eyes. “If something happens while we’re at the cathedral, we’ll know where the leak came from.”
