Chapter 184

VICKY’S POV

I stopped, turnin’ around to see Enzo Moretti leanin’ casually against the hood of a vehicle, his fingers twirlin’ a pair of car keys. The arrogant smile was back on his face.

“Yeah, I’m done with the initial inspection, Mr. Moretti,” I called back, keepin’ my distance but fixin’ him with a cold stare. “The main cargo will load tomorrow morning, exactly as scheduled.”

I took two steps toward him, decidin’ it was time to put a little steel into my words to remind him that I’m not one to be messed with.

“Please, Mr. Enzo… I expect that we are goin’ to respect each other’s boundaries on this project. I run a clean pipeline, and I don’t tolerate any surprises or unlogged shifts on my docks. I’m sure a businessperson like you understands exactly why I am strict about my security protocols.”

It’s a warning that says I am watchin’ every single piece of cargo he’s tryin’ to move through the Verilli lines, and he better not play any dirty games with me.

I said it in parables, but I’m sure he gets the veiled meaning behind my words.

Enzo let out a low chuckle, noddin’ his head slowly as if he appreciated the challenge.

“Always so blunt, bella. I get you. I understand you beyond words. Do have a nice day, and I will see you tomorrow morning.”

But as the words left his mouth, his eyes slid slowly past my shoulder, travelin’ straight over to where Freya was standin’ by the passenger door of my car.

I snapped my head around, followin’ his gaze. The second Enzo looked at her, Freya quickly looked away, her body flinchin’ as if she had just been electrocuted.

I noticed how she shrank into herself, and that’s a telltale sign of fear.

A suspicious jolt went straight through my spine.

What the hell was that? I thought, my mind instantly trackin’ the weird dynamic between them.

The air between Enzo and Freya didn’t look like what it was some hours ago. It looked like a predator lookin’ at a rabbit that had been caught in his trap.

My instinct wasn’t wrong. Somethin’ definitely went down between them while I was gone.

That effin’ bastard. How dare he mess with my person?

I didn’t say another word to Enzo. I grabbed the door handle, climbed into the driver’s seat this time, and slammed the door shut. Freya scrambled into the passenger side beside me, pullin’ her seatbelt across her shakin’ chest.

I didn’t question her. There was no need for that. I’ll make my findings.

The drive away from the northern port terminal was completely consumed by a suffocatin’, miserable silence.

The only sound in the car was the hum of the engine and the clickin’ of the turn signals as I navigated through the busy traffic and headed straight for the address Freya had whispered to me. She had told me her mom was rushed to Spring Medical Center over on Harrison Avenue.

The whole way there, my mind was absolutely racin’. Every single piece of my intuition kept screamin’ at me that somethin’ was horribly wrong.

I kept replaying everything in my head in a loop: her body language when Enzo looked at her earlier by the car, how her entire demeanor had changed the second I left her alone with him in that place.

Before I left, she was perfectly fine and jovial, but the second I came back, she was a weepin’, tremblin’ wreck who suddenly couldn’t look me in the eyes anymore.

Is she lyin’ to me? I thought, my fingers grippin’ the steerin’ wheel tighter.

Did that Italian bastardo do somethin’ to her while I was gone? Or am I just completely overthinkin’ this because of Leo’s warnings?

I pulled the car up to the busy entrance of Spring Medical Center before slidin’ it into the drop-off zone. Freya immediately unbuckled her belt, grabbin’ her purse with a little sigh of relief.

“Thank you so much for the ride, Ms. Vicky,” she said quickly, her hand flyin’ to the door handle. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.”

“Hold on a second, Fre,” I said, turnin’ off the ignition and pullin’ my keys out. “Let me come in with you. I want to say a quick hi to your mom, make sure she’s doin’ okay.”

“No, no, no! Please, you don’t have to do that!” Freya practically yelled, her eyes bulgin’ with panic.

“She’s… she’s probably sleeping or in the middle of the doctor’s routine checkups. You have so much work to do. I’ll handle it, really!”

Before I could even reply, she threw the car door open, hopped out onto the pavement, and ran straight through the revolving doors of the hospital lobby.

I sat there, watchin’ her disappear into the crowd of doctors and patients. The knot in my stomach tightened until it felt like it was about to snap in two.

“Yeah, no. Somethin’ is definitely off,” I muttered to the empty car.

I knew Freya is a timid, easily intimidated girl. She is naive, and she is exactly the kind of person a snake like Enzo Moretti could easily manipulate or threaten if he wanted to carry out his shady deeds.

If he had threatened her or done somethin’ foul to her in that warehouse, she would be too terrified to tell me the truth.

I didn’t waste any time. I quickly stepped out of the car before I lost track of her.

We can’t be too careful with these people, I thought, my molars grindin’ together as I marched toward the hospital entrance.

I’m goin’ in there.

I need to see with my own two eyes what the heck is happenin’ with her, or if the little éclair is lyin’ to my face.