She Found Who Was Robbing the Don’s Syndicate—Then He Claimed Her Before Everyone
Chapter 5
Elena expected Matteo to kill her.
Instead, he asked why she was late.
She had been summoned to his private study the following morning.
The room overlooked the harbor.
Matteo stood beside the window with his back toward her.
He was dressed simply in a black coat, white shirt, and polished boots.
No rings.
No elaborate decoration.
Nothing that announced wealth.
Yet two armed men stood outside his door.
“You’ve been following my men,” Matteo said.
Elena swallowed.
“I’ve been following missing shipments.”
He turned.
His eyes were dark and unnervingly calm.
“You know what happens to people who investigate my affairs?”
“I assume you don’t give them employment references.”
One of the guards almost smiled.
Matteo did not.
“You’re either brave or foolish.”
“Neither.”
“What are you, then?”
“Right.”
Silence.
Matteo walked toward her.
Elena forced herself not to step backward.
He stopped beside the desk.
“You found something.”
It was not a question.
Elena placed the copied receipts on the table.
“These shipments never reached your warehouses.”
Matteo studied them.
“Continue.”
“Someone is using your routes to steal from you.”
His eyes lifted.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Thomas?”
“I have evidence against him.”
“Caruso?”
“I have evidence against him too.”
Matteo leaned against the desk.
“And against me?”
Elena hesitated.
“That is why I came.”
His expression changed slightly.
“You think I am involved.”
“I think you are the only man powerful enough to know the entire network.”
For the first time, Matteo smiled.
It was not a pleasant smile.
“You have courage.”
“I have bills.”
He laughed once.
Then the sound vanished.
“My father once employed a woman who thought she could uncover every secret in this city.”
“What happened to her?”
“She disappeared.”
Elena’s pulse quickened.
“Did you make her disappear?”
“No.”
Matteo looked toward the window.
“She found the wrong secret.”
He picked up one of the receipts.
“This theft has cost me nearly ten thousand pounds.”
Elena stared at him.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“Then why did you let it continue?”
“Because I wanted the thief to believe he was safe.”
Matteo’s gaze returned to hers.
“And now you have given me something I did not have.”
“What?”
“A second person who knows where to look.”
He pushed the receipts back toward her.
“Keep working.”
Elena blinked.
“You’re not going to stop me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever is stealing from me has made one mistake.”
“What mistake?”
Matteo stepped closer.
“He underestimated the woman reading his books.”
