Chapter 74 Data and Doubt
Valentina
The second Matteo left, I locked the door.
He’d kissed my cheek before heading to his meeting with Alessio—said something about calling Rosco to pull more surveillance footage and handling Luca himself. I told him I’d be working too. That I had emails to answer and my team to catch up with.
Technically, I didn’t lie.
I pulled out my laptop, inserted the flash drive, and exhaled as the files began to load.
This batch was bigger than the first. I hadn’t even looked at them all last night—only skimmed through just enough to know I needed to save everything before someone got wise and tried to wipe the system.
I clicked the first file.
A familiar front. Another restaurant I’d driven past a dozen times. On paper, it looked legitimate—staffing lists, purchase orders, shell company ownership. Same as the ones I found last time.
Next file. A construction supply warehouse. Another front.
I kept clicking, scanning logistics, shipments, forged invoices. Then—
File 004: Subject – Avelina R.
Age: 16
Birthday: October 2
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 103 lbs
Measurements: 30-23-33
Taken from: Sinaloa, Mexico
Sold to: Ivan Zvezdev, Bucharest
Amount: $120,000
Condition: “Unmarked, compliant”
I stared at the screen.
A photo stared back—young, too young. Her expression was scared, eyes red like she’d just stopped crying. The room behind her was bare concrete, a steel door in the corner.
I slammed the laptop shut.
My stomach heaved.
No.
No, no, no.
Matteo wasn’t just running fronts.
He was… he was selling girls?
I pressed my hand over my mouth, trying to breathe.
I wanted to throw the laptop across the room. I wanted to scream. But I forced myself to open it again. Clicked the next file.
Subject – Julieta M.
Age: 14
I stopped reading.
I didn’t need to know the rest.
I still hated him for what he did to my family. No matter how much I pretended. No matter how charming he was or how carefully he touched me or how safe he made me feel when I let myself forget.
I knew what he was. But this… this was worse.
This was evil.
And some stupid, cracked part of me had started to soften. Had started to wonder if I was falling into the very lie I’d warned myself against.
Not anymore. Not after this.
I was about to open another file when—
Knock knock knock.
I jumped, slamming the laptop closed again and yanking out the flash drive. I shoved it back in the satin pouch, then into my drawer. Took a breath.
“Miss Valentina?” Carol called gently from the other side. “You’re needed at the front entrance.”
I forced my voice steady. “Coming.”
By the time I made it down the hall, my face was composed. Hair brushed back. Pulse hidden.
Matteo was already there, standing by the front door in a fitted black shirt and slacks, cool as glass. Outside, a man in a navy blazer stood with a badge clipped to his belt.
Detective. I felt it before he said it.
The man glanced at me as I approached and gave a small nod. “Good morning, ma’am. Detective Walsh. We’re investigating a missing person—Maria Estevez. We understand she was previously employed here?”
“Yes,” I said calmly. “She was.”
“She had a… public incident at a restaurant recently, and we’re just covering our bases. Spoke to the manager, some guests, and now we’re following up with her previous employers. Just standard procedure.”
Matteo’s smile was warm. Distant. “Of course. We’re happy to help however we can.”
“Did either of you hear from her after that night?”
“No,” I said smoothly. “That was the last time we saw her.”
“She was… upset,” Matteo added. “We didn’t hold it against her. Honestly, we felt bad for her. It’s hard, losing a job.”
The detective jotted something down. “And why did you let her go?”
Matteo didn’t miss a beat. “We were downsizing. Maria’s role wasn’t essential, and she’d been unhappy for a while. It felt mutual, even if the exit wasn’t graceful.”
I watched the detective’s face, searching for cracks. There were none.
“Alright. Thank you for your time.” He handed over a card. “If she contacts you, or if anything else comes to mind, please reach out.”
Matteo nodded. “Absolutely.”
The door shut behind him with a soft click.
I turned to Matteo, my heart pounding. His expression didn’t change, but his jaw clenched just a little.
“Well,” he said under his breath. “So much for a quiet morning.”
I nodded. But inside, I was still reeling. Because the only thing louder than the detective’s questions was the scream in my head—
What the hell are you hiding, Matteo?
And more importantly—
What am I going to do about it?
Matteo turned toward me once the door shut behind the detective. “Alessio wants to speak with you later.”
“Of course,” I replied, folding my arms casually. “I’ll finish up my work by lunchtime.”
He tilted his head, studying me a little too closely. “Is something wrong?”
My spine locked. Shit. Was I not masking well enough?
I smiled quickly—soft, a little distracted, just busy-Valentina energy. “No. Everything’s fine. I just had some… logistics issues I needed to untangle. A few shipments got rerouted and I was double-checking supplier notes. Nothing serious. All will be well.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, like he didn’t quite buy it—but he didn’t press. “Alright. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Have a good meeting,” I said sweetly, brushing a hand down his sleeve before walking away.
Once I got back to my room, I shut the door, locked it, and dropped the smile like a stone.
I started pacing. Back and forth. Hands in my hair. Breathing like my ribs were trying to break.
“You can do this,” I muttered under my breath. “You’ve always been able to do this.”
I sat on the edge of the bed, then stood again. I couldn’t be still.
I’d hated him for ten years. I’d watched my family die because of him. I’d sworn vengeance in the dark, in silence, in blood. That fire hadn’t gone out—not really—but it had flickered.
The way he touched me. The way he looked at me like I was his future and not his mistake. It was dangerous.
But this? This added a whole new layer. A new flavor to the rage. Girls. Children. Sold like merchandise.
Whether or not Matteo had written the files himself didn’t matter right now. They existed. And they were tied to him.
I took a breath. Held it.
I’d already proven I could play my part. That I could smile, lie, kiss him like I meant it.
I could do it again. For those girls. For my family. For me.