One WayAnother
Dante
Since the voicemail messages, something has changed between us.
I see it in her eyes. In the way she touches me sometimes.
While those dark thoughts churn through my mind, I head to the lab to pick up Valeria.
We’re having lunch with Hugo today.
That guy is impossible to pin down. I still have no idea what he actually does for a living, but he spends his time hopping from one country to another. Somehow, though, he always finds time for Valeria, and for that alone, I’m willing to revise my opinion of him.
The family lunch certainly hadn’t worked against him. Even if watching him charm both our families in less than an hour had been mildly irritating.
Despite myself, I think back to the first time he literally stepped in front of me to stop me from talking to my wife.
Then to that other time when he started quoting legal articles at me with that smug expression of his.
Good thing I didn’t punch him in the face that day, because Valeria probably never would’ve forgiven me.
I quickly learned one of the new unspoken rules of our relationship:
You do not touch her precious little Hugo.
Even though, honestly… it was tempting.
The memory makes me smile.
“What’s so funny?” Valeria asks as she joins me in the hallway.
“Mmh… let’s just say I’m looking forward to seeing your friend again.”
Behind her, Mara—who now follows me like my shadow ever since I agreed to reinforced security—shoots me an amused look.
We meet Stephen in the parking garage.
A second car trails discreetly behind us: men Andrea sent as backup. Two guys built like refrigerators with a sense of humor hovering somewhere near nonexistent.
I’m almost certain my brother picked them on purpose.
As we drive through Paris, my phone rings.
Andrea.
I answer immediately and switch to speakerphone.
“He moved,” Andrea announces without preamble.
I instantly know who he means.
“I’m listening.”
“Offshore accounts. Shell companies. Cypriot holdings. Everything’s activating at once.”
Inside the car, no one moves.
The vehicle keeps rolling through the city in an almost unreal silence.
Even the sound of the engine seems distant.
“He’s draining his reserves,” Valeria realizes.
Stephen glances at us in the rearview mirror while Mara allows herself a faint smile.
“And he’s moving so fast he’s not even taking the time to properly hide the financial trails anymore,” Andrea continues.
I squeeze Valeria’s hand.
Finally.
“Perfect.”
“Three shell companies linked to Ciphera just transferred forty million euros to a Dutch subsidiary created less than two weeks ago.”
Valeria immediately frowns.
“A pharmaceutical subsidiary?”
“Officially specialized in biotechnology and clinical manufacturing. Unofficially? A money-laundering machine.”
I exchange a look with Valeria.
“He took the bait.”
Laundered money. Offshore accounts. Shell companies.
We’ve got him.