Chapter 1 - The Explosive Truth
My chest heaved violently as I pushed through the heavy revolving glass doors of Moretti Plaza.
I had been frantically searching for Lily for three agonizing hours after discovering she was missing from our babysitter's apartment.
My heart hammered against my ribs when I finally spotted her tiny red coat in the center of the massive marble lobby.
She was standing fearlessly in front of Dominic Moretti, clutching her worn stuffed rabbit and the termination letter I had cried over last night.
I sprinted across the polished floor, my shoes echoing loudly in the absolute silence of the terrified crowd.
I reached them just as Dominic ordered his head of security to find out who had authorized my firing.
I grabbed Lily by her small shoulders and pulled her flush against my side, completely ignoring the dangerous men surrounding us.
Dominic slowly stood up to his full height, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.
He asked me if I was Anna Carter.
I nodded nervously, keeping a tight grip on my daughter's hand as I tried to step backward toward the exit.
Dominic took a slow step forward, blocking my path to the glass doors with his imposing frame.
He demanded to know exactly what was inside the shoebox of letters Lily had just mentioned.
I told him it was just old paperwork and that it was none of his business.
Dominic's voice dropped to a dangerous, terrifying whisper as he told me that anything involving his late father's signature was his business.
He ordered his men to lock the front doors of the plaza, trapping us inside the building.
He told me we were going to take his private car to my apartment in Brooklyn right this second to retrieve that shoebox.
I opened my mouth to scream for help, realizing I was practically being kidnapped in broad daylight.
Before I could make a sound, a deafening roar completely shattered the silence of the lobby.
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The massive crystal chandelier above us violently swung sideways as a massive explosion ripped through the penthouse suites forty floors above.
Shattered glass and flaming debris began to rain down on the street outside, and Dominic suddenly tackled Lily and me to the marble floor.
