Evelyn sat in her office, her fingers tracing the edge of an old photograph she'd found in her father's study. It showed her father shaking hands with a man she vaguely recognized. The name "Silas Moretti" was scrawled on the back in her father's unmistakable handwriting. A quick internet search had revealed that Silas was the founder of Moretti Enterprises, one of her company's fiercest rivals, but the man had vanished years ago under suspicious circumstances.
Her mind spun as she tried to connect the dots. Her father's death wasn't random—it was starting to feel like a calculated move in a much larger game.
Adrian walked in, his presence startling her. "You've been holed up in here all morning," he said, setting a cup of coffee on her desk. "What's going on?"
Evelyn hesitated. Adrian had become her closest confidant over the past weeks, but trust didn't come easily, even with him. Still, something in his steady gaze made her want to share.
"I found this," she said, handing him the photograph. "It's Silas Moretti. My father knew him."
Adrian's expression didn't betray his recognition of the name, though his stomach churned. Silas Moretti had been a key player in the mafia world—a man his own father had respected and feared.
"What makes this important?" Adrian asked carefully.
Evelyn leaned back in her chair. "Moretti disappeared years ago, but his company didn't crumble—it grew. I've been digging into their financials, and something doesn't add up. They've been acquiring small businesses left and right, most of them directly competing with us."
"That's common in the corporate world," Adrian said, though he knew it wasn't that simple.
"Maybe," Evelyn admitted. "But look at this." She turned her laptop toward him, showing a list of transactions. "These shell companies—some of them are tied to accounts my father controlled. It's almost like he was funding Moretti."
Adrian's chest tightened. This was the kind of information he had been searching for, yet now that he had it, he felt no satisfaction. Instead, he felt dread.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"I don't know yet," Evelyn replied. "But I can't ignore this. If my father was involved in something illegal..." She trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.
Adrian reached out, his hand brushing hers. "You don't have to do this alone," he said softly.
Evelyn met his gaze, her walls momentarily crumbling. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
But as Adrian left her office, his mind raced. He was supposed to be using Evelyn to uncover the truth about his parents' deaths, but now he wasn't sure he could follow through.