Chapter 59
Lucia didn’t move.
Adrian’s eyes were on her, sharp and expectant, silently asking her to speak. She could feel his gaze pressing against her, but the words wouldn’t come. Her throat felt tight, and her thoughts were tangled.
Rico stood only a few steps away, that same composed look on his face. He adjusted his cufflinks like a man with nothing to hide, then glanced at Lucia briefly — calm, confident, maybe even amused.
She couldn’t look away from him.
Adrian frowned, glancing between them. “Lucia?” he said, his tone slower now, and probing.
She blinked, but her voice didn’t follow. Her gaze just shifted helplessly between the two men — Adrian, waiting, and Rico, watching.
The silence stretched between them until Rico finally cleared his throat. His tone was casual, as if the tension in the room didn’t exist.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said, giving a polite half-smile. “I just came to update you, Adrian — about the shipment you asked me to handle.”
Lucia’s heart sank. Shipment?
Adrian’s expression softened slightly, some of the irritation fading. “Yes, the Di Santi order?”
Rico nodded. “Exactly. It’s been shipped out. Everything went smoothly. No delays, no damages.”
Lucia froze. Her mind flashed back to the warehouse — the same goods, stacked and gleaming, the same labels. Shipped out?
Adrian seemed pleased. “That’s good to hear.”
Rico stepped closer to the desk and pulled a thin folder from under his arm. “All the paperwork is here. Tracking numbers, customs clearance, payment confirmation. The funds already reflected this morning.”
He placed the folder in front of Adrian, who took it and began flipping through the pages.
Lucia stood stiff, her palms starting to sweat. The documents looked official — stamped, signed, and complete. She recognized the logos, the digital signatures, even the export seal. Nothing about them seemed off.
“How—” she started to whisper, but stopped herself.
Adrian scanned the documents for another moment before nodding, clearly satisfied. “Everything looks in order.”
Rico smiled faintly. “Of course. I know how much this shipment meant to you.”
Adrian leaned back slightly, closing the folder. “Good work, Rico. I appreciate it.”
Rico inclined his head modestly. “Just doing my job, sir.”
Lucia’s stomach twisted. She wanted to shout — to tell Adrian that the same boxes had been sitting in that filthy warehouse hours ago. That Rico was lying to his face. But everything on the desk said otherwise. Every paper, every signature — it was all there, complete and convincing.
She couldn’t understand. How could Rico have pulled this off so fast? Those goods weren’t shipped; they were hidden. She’d seen it.
Adrian spoke again, his tone shifting to something more serious. “Actually, there’s another matter.”
Rico’s brows lifted slightly. “Yes?”
Adrian crossed his arms. “I’ve been getting reports — quiet ones — about some group trying to interfere with our shipments. The same people we’ve had issues with before. The Marquez syndicate.”
Rico’s expression hardened at the name. “I’ve heard the rumors too. Do you think they’re behind the missing cargo?”
“Possibly,” Adrian said. “But I’m done negotiating with them. I don’t care how much they offer or what they threaten. I won’t deal with them anymore. We’ll handle things internally from now on.”
Rico tilted his head, thoughtful, then nodded slowly. “Understood. If you want, I’ll make sure we sever all ties with their reps. Quietly.”
“Do that,” Adrian said firmly. “I don’t want any surprises. Not after last time.”
“Consider it done.”
Rico’s voice was steady — professional, loyal. Exactly how a trusted partner should sound.
Lucia, however, felt like she was watching a play she didn’t understand anymore. Everything about this scene — the calm, the paperwork, the efficiency — felt too clean, too perfect.
It didn’t make sense.
I saw it, she told herself again. I know what I saw.
Rico turned slightly, picking up the folder again. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you to your work.”
Adrian nodded, still satisfied. “Thanks, Rico.”
“Anytime.”
Rico started toward the door. As he passed Lucia, he slowed just a little — just enough to look at her. His smile was small but deliberate, the kind of smile that said I know you won’t say anything.
Her stomach turned. She couldn’t move until the door clicked shut behind him.
The silence that followed felt heavy.
Adrian looked back at her. “You’ve been quiet,” he said, his tone neutral but curious. “You had something urgent to tell me, didn’t you?”
Lucia forced herself to meet his eyes. Her mind was spinning, and her heart pounding hard against her ribs. She could either stay silent and walk away — or tell him everything and risk looking insane.
“Yes,” she said finally. “I do.”
Adrian nodded slowly. “Alright. Go on.”
Lucia took a shaky breath. “I… I have my doubts about Rico,” she said quietly.
Adrian’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I think he’s lying,” she said. “I think he’s hiding something.”
Adrian frowned deeper, clearly not following.
Lucia stepped closer, her voice trembling but firm. “Mr Adrian, I saw those goods. The ones he just claimed he shipped? They were in a warehouse — today. Hidden. The same Di Santi boxes. The same watches. I can even take you there right now.”
Adrian stared at her, searching her face for a long moment. “Lucia…” he started, his tone heavy, and uncertain.
“I’m not making this up,” she said quickly. “Please. Just come with me. You’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his jaw. There was a pause — long and strained — before he finally nodded. “Fine.”
Her eyes widened a little. “You’ll come?”
“Yes. But listen carefully,” he said, his voice low and serious. “If I go there and find nothing — no goods, no evidence — you’re going to have to answer to me for this. Understood?”
Lucia didn’t hesitate. “Understood.”
He studied her for another second, as if trying to read her conviction. Then he grabbed his car keys from the desk. “Let’s go.”
They left the office without another word.
The evening air outside was cooler now, the city lights flickering against the windshield as they stepped into the parking lot. Adrian’s driver moved to open the back door, but Adrian raised a hand.
“It’s fine,” he said. “I’ll drive today.”
The driver hesitated, then stepped back respectfully.
Lucia slid into the passenger seat, her pulse quick but steady now. She gave Adrian the directions quietly as they pulled out of the lot.
The car ride was mostly silent. The hum of the engine and the faint sounds of the road filled the space between them. Lucia kept glancing at Adrian, trying to read his mood, but his face was set on the road, driving through the busy road seamlessly.
“You really believe you saw our goods,” he said finally, breaking the silence.
“I don’t believe,” Lucia said. “I know.”
He didn’t respond after that.
The city lights faded as they drove farther out. The streets grew quieter, the surroundings darker. The old industrial area soon came into view — long stretches of warehouses and empty lots, barely lit by flickering streetlamps.
Lucia leaned forward, pointing. “There,” she said softly. “That’s the place.”
Adrian slowed the car, turning into the narrow gravel road. The tires crunched under them as the warehouse came into sight — the same tall, rusted structure she had seen earlier.
But something was different.
Lucia’s chest tightened as they approached. The gate that had once been slightly open was now chained and locked. The faint hum she’d heard before was gone. The lights inside — off. Not even a sound.
Adrian parked the car and looked around. “This is it?”
Lucia nodded slowly, her eyes scanning the building. “Yes. This is the one.”
He got out first, and she followed. The air smelled faintly of dust and metal. She moved closer to the gate, gripping the bars, peering through.
Nothing.
The inside looked empty. No tables. No boxes. Just bare concrete floors and darkness stretching into the back.
Lucia’s heart sank.
“No,” she whispered. “This can’t be right.”
Adrian joined her at the gate, looking in with narrowed eyes. “You said you saw goods here.”
“I did,” she said quickly. “They were right there — tables lined up, boxes everywhere—”
She stopped. Her voice cracked.
Adrian’s face hardened. “Lucia…”
She shook her head, stepping back. “No, Mr Adrian, I swear, they were here! Just a few hours ago!”
He looked at her, silent, his expression unreadable again.
Lucia turned in slow circles, scanning the area — the empty ground, the quiet night. It was all wrong. The place looked abandoned, and untouched for years.
Her throat went dry.
Adrian’s voice came quieter now, measured but sharp. “Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”
Lucia turned toward him, her eyes wide with panic. “I’m not crazy.”
He didn’t answer.
The night air felt heavier now, the silence stretching between them like something waiting to snap.
Lucia turned back toward the warehouse, gripping the metal bars tighter, her pulse racing. She wanted to find something — anything — a trace, a clue, proof that she hadn’t just walked him into a mistake.
But there was nothing.
No footprints. No tire marks. No lights. No sound.
Just emptiness.
Lucia’s breath caught. She stood there frozen, staring at the dark interior, her mind trying to make sense of it.
Adrian was watching her now, his expression clouded with doubt and disappointment.
And Lucia — she couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. The shock held her still.