Chapter 3: The Traitor Among Them
Chapter 3: The Traitor Among Them
The heavy doors of Bellavita locked with a metallic click that seemed to echo forever.
Panic spread instantly.
Customers stood from their tables.
Phones appeared.
Voices rose.
"You can't keep us here!"
"I have rights!"
"I'm calling the police!"
Dominic Moretti didn't even turn around.
"Try."
The single word silenced half the room.
His men moved efficiently, collecting phones and checking every entrance.
Rain hammered against the windows.
Nobody was leaving.
Not until Dominic found the person who had sold information about his son.
Across the restaurant, Sophie sat in a quiet booth with Matteo sleeping against her shoulder.
The baby had no idea that dozens of frightened people were staring at him.
Or that his existence had just triggered a war.
One of Dominic's guards approached.
The scar-faced one.
"Boss wants the baby."
Sophie looked at Matteo.
The little boy was finally resting peacefully.
"If I hand him over right now, he'll wake up."
The guard frowned.
"That's not my problem."
"Actually, it is."
The guard opened his mouth.
Then Dominic's voice came from behind him.
"Leave her."
The guard immediately stepped aside.
Dominic approached the booth.
For the first time, Sophie noticed how exhausted he looked.
Not angry.
Not dangerous.
Exhausted.
Like a man carrying a weight too heavy to set down.
"He trusts you," Dominic said quietly.
Sophie glanced at the sleeping baby.
"No."
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"He trusts whoever makes him feel safe."
Something about that answer seemed to hit him harder than expected.
Before he could respond, shouting erupted near the bar.
"He's lying!"
Everyone turned.
Two guards had cornered a nervous waiter named Kevin.
The young man's face had gone ghost-white.
"I didn't do anything!"
One guard held up a phone.
"Then explain these messages."
Kevin's knees nearly buckled.
Dominic walked toward him.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
"What messages?"
The guard handed over the phone.
Dominic read silently.
The room held its breath.
Then his eyes hardened.
"Interesting."
Kevin started crying.
"I swear, Mr. Moretti, I didn't know who they were!"
The confession exploded through the restaurant.
Gasps erupted.
"You talked to them?" Dominic asked.
"They paid me!"
The waiter collapsed to his knees.
"They said they wanted reservation information! Just customer lists! I didn't know it was about your son!"
Dominic's face remained expressionless.
Which terrified Kevin even more.
"They offered ten thousand dollars."
"You sold information for ten thousand dollars?"
Kevin sobbed.
"My mother needs surgery."
The room fell silent.
Even Dominic paused.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Sophie stood.
Still holding Matteo.
"Wait."
Every head turned.
Mr. Halpern nearly fainted.
Not again.
Not a second time.
Sophie looked directly at Dominic.
"He's scared."
"He should be."
"He made a terrible decision."
"He endangered my son."
"Yes."
Dominic stared at her.
"So what's your point?"
Sophie swallowed.
"My point is that a desperate man and an evil man aren't always the same thing."
The restaurant became deathly quiet.
Nobody challenged Dominic Moretti.
Twice.
Yet somehow she had.
Again.
Kevin looked at her like she had lost her mind.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"You think I should forgive him?"
"No."
The answer surprised everyone.
"Then what?"
"I think you should find out who approached him."
Dominic went still.
Sophie continued.
"If someone paid him for information, then Kevin isn't the real threat."
The realization spread across the room.
Kevin was just a link.
Not the mastermind.
The real danger was still out there.
Watching.
Planning.
Waiting.
And Dominic knew she was right.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Dominic looked down at Kevin.
"Congratulations."
Kevin blinked.
May you like
"What?"
"She just saved your life."
