Chapter 2 - The Witness No One Expected

I reached for my phone. Before I touched it, someone knocked. Three soft knocks. I got out of bed. “Who is it?” “Dominic.” I stared at the door. When I opened it, he stood alone in the corridor. No jacket. Shirt sleeves rolled to his forearms. His face looked exhausted. “We found something,” he said. “What?” “One camera lost exactly eleven minutes of footage.” My stomach dropped. “Which camera?” “The service corridor outside the cold room.” I looked back at Lily. Dominic followed my gaze. Then his expression changed. “What happened?” I told him. Every word. When I repeated the stranger's warning, Dominic became very still. “Little girls should forget things?” “Yes.” He stepped into my apartment and looked at Lily sleeping beneath the blanket. His voice was barely audible when he spoke. “He knows she saw him.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “What does that mean?” Dominic looked at me. “It means the person who tried to kill my son may now believe your daughter can identify him.” The hallway seemed suddenly too quiet. “What do we do?” His answer came immediately. “You and Lily aren't staying in the staff wing anymore.” “Where are we going?” “Upstairs.” I stared at him. “Upstairs where?” “In my family's private residence.” “Mr. Moretti—” “Anna.” There was no anger in his voice. Only certainty. “Someone entered my home tonight and nearly murdered my child.” He looked toward Lily again. “Your daughter stopped him.” Then his eyes met mine. “Until I know who did it, anyone who wants Lily has to come through me first.” And for the first time in six years, I realized the safest place in New York might also be the most dangerous one. At Dominic Moretti's side. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy, as the gravity of his words settled upon me. I was a housekeeper, accustomed to the quiet routines of dusting and polishing, not navigating the treacherous waters of organized crime and targeted assassinations. Yet, here I was, thrust into the center of a storm I hadn't even known was brewing. The transition from the staff wing to the private residence was swift and surreal. My modest belongings were packed into a few boxes, and within hours, Lily and I were settled into a guest suite that exuded quiet luxury. The contrast between my former quarters and this opulent sanctuary was stark, a constant reminder of the perilous shift in our reality. The suite, with its plush carpets and heavy velvet curtains, felt more like a gilded cage than a safe haven. I spent the first few days in a state of hyper-vigilance, starting at every creak of the floorboards, every shadow that danced across the wall. Lily, oblivious to the danger that lurked just beyond our doors, treated the move as an exciting adventure. She explored the vast rooms with wide-eyed wonder, her laughter echoing through the silent corridors. Dominic, surprisingly, spent a considerable amount of time with us. He would appear unexpectedly, his presence both reassuring and unnerving. He would sit with Lily, reading her stories or playing simple games, his usually stern features softening into a smile that reached his eyes. In those moments, he wasn't the ruthless mafia boss I had heard whispers about; he was just a father, fiercely protective and surprisingly tender. But the specter of the assassination attempt loomed over us, casting a long, dark shadow. The investigation was ongoing, a relentless pursuit of the truth led by Marco and his team. They combed through every detail, interviewing staff members, scrutinizing security footage, and chasing down every possible lead. The atmosphere in the house was tense, a palpable undercurrent of suspicion and fear that permeated every interaction. I found myself observing everyone with a critical eye, wondering if the person pouring my coffee or opening the door was the one who had tried to harm Ethan. The realization that the assassin had been disguised as a guest added another layer of complexity to the investigation. The guest list was extensive, a veritable who's who of New York's elite, and determining who among them harbored such deadly intentions was a monumental task.