Chapter 38 He Has done it Again

Chapter 38 He Has done it Again
“Where do you think you’re going?” Charles’ voice sliced through the silence before I even reached the hallway.
I froze, my heart hammering, but I didn’t turn around. “I need air,” I said, my voice steady even though my hands were trembling.
“You think stepping outside will change anything?” His footsteps echoed behind me, slow and deliberate. I felt his presence before I saw him, and for the first time, I didn’t flinch.
“I… I can’t stay here and do nothing,” I whispered, finally turning to face him. My eyes didn’t waver. “I have to do something.”
Charles stopped, studying me. His gaze was calm, dangerous, and unreadable. “Something?” he repeated, voice low. “Do you think you’re capable of doing something? Do you understand the consequences if you fail?”
“I understand perfectly,” I said, taking a step closer. “I’ve already lost everything I care about. I can’t just wait for you to decide who lives and who dies. Not anymore.”
He laughed softly, a sound that didn’t reach his eyes. “You think defiance will save them?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice firm. “But inaction won’t.”
He walked closer, and I could smell the smoke on his coat, the faint leather scent that always clung to him. “You are reckless,” he said, calm but sharp. “And you will pay if you try anything.”
“I know,” I said. “And I’m ready to pay. But not them. Not my family. Not Ryan.”
For a moment, he said nothing, just stared at me. Then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a phone. He tossed it onto the table, face up. “If you move, if you breathe without my permission, this phone will know. And so will I. But maybe… maybe you’ve earned a chance to move. One chance.”
I bent down to pick it up, eyes narrowing. “One chance?”
“Yes,” he said, finally moving to the door. “One chance to prove you can follow rules. Or you’ll find out how fast I can be when someone disobeys me.”
I didn’t answer. I just watched him leave, the door clicking shut behind him.
I pressed my back to the wall and sank to the floor, phone in hand. My fingers hovered over the screen. I could feel the power in my grasp, the tool Charles had given me, twisted though it was. One wrong move, and it could kill my brother or worse. But it also gave me information, a window I could use.
I tapped the screen, and a list of contacts appeared, numbers and names I didn’t recognize. But one caught my attention immediately. Matteo. My pulse jumped. This was my thread, my path, the way to start taking back control.
I memorized the numbers, wrote down every name in a small notebook I kept hidden in my dress. Every detail mattered. Every second I wasted could cost someone their life.
The next morning, I walked into the mansion quietly while Charles was occupied, listening for orders, making calls, checking the estate. I slipped into the study and opened the desk drawer. My eyes scanned every folder, every piece of paper, until I found it. A shipping log, dates, addresses, and one recurring name: a warehouse on the south side, tied to Matteo’s shipments.
My heart pounded. This was it. This was the chance to act.
I didn’t hear Charles return, so I left the folder carefully where it would be noticed but not immediately seen. I didn’t need him knowing I had taken it. I left the room the same way I came in, slow and deliberate, my mind racing with plans.
Later that day, I found Max sitting near the cafeteria, pretending to read. “Hey,” I said, keeping my voice casual. “Can I talk to you?”
He looked up, curiosity in his eyes. “Sure. What’s up?”
I leaned close, lowering my voice. “I need to ask you something about Matteo. Just… small things. Can you help me?”
His eyebrows rose, but he nodded. “Depends. What do you want to know?”
I glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “Names, places, people he trusts. Anything you’ve heard.”
Max hesitated. “Why are you asking? You know you shouldn’t… It’s dangerous.”
“I know,” I said. “I don’t want to explain. Just tell me what you know. For your sake and mine.”
He studied me for a long moment, then leaned closer. “I heard he’s trying to expand. Chicago, the south warehouses, the people who deal with him… they all report up the chain. It’s complicated. He’s careful, but he trusts very few. Most of them are disposable.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “And you? You… you were sent by him before?”
Max looked away quickly, his jaw tightening. “I… I did things I’m not proud of. But it wasn’t my choice, not entirely.”
I nodded. “I understand. I just need information. I’m not judging. I just…” I trailed off, but my meaning was clear. My family’s lives were at stake.
He exhaled, then whispered a name. “Warehouse on Monroe. They move shipments there. Matteo checks it himself sometimes. But be careful, Elena. He doesn’t forgive mistakes.”
I wrote it down in my notebook, careful not to let him see. “Thank you,” I said quietly. “This… this helps more than you know.”
Max hesitated, then added, “Be careful with Charles. If he finds out… you’ll regret it.”
I nodded, hiding the tremor in my hands. “I know. I’ll be careful.”
Later that evening, I sat in my room, notebook open, phone in hand, my mind racing. Charles had given me the tool, Max had given me the lead, and I had the resolve. I could plan, I could move, and maybe I could take a small step toward saving my family.
I whispered into the dark room, “I will find a way. I will stop him.”
And I meant it.