HE SAW THE BRUISES. SHE WAS THE TRAP.
Part 2
Madison felt the blood drain from her face.
The hallway suddenly seemed smaller.
Colder.
More dangerous.
Dante’s phone remained pressed against his ear.
His gray eyes never left hers.
"How certain are you?" he asked quietly.
A pause.
Then:
"Send me everything."
He ended the call.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Madison’s pulse thundered in her ears.
"What does that mean?" she finally asked.
Dante studied her face.
Every bruise.
Every hidden fear.
Every carefully constructed lie.
Then he said something that made her stomach drop.
"Your husband isn’t who you think he is."
Madison froze.
The words sounded ridiculous.
Impossible.
And yet…
Something inside her tightened.
Because for months she had been noticing things.
Late-night phone calls.
Sudden business trips.
Unexplained cash.
Locked rooms.
Secrets.
Too many secrets.
"My husband is an accountant," she said.
Dante’s expression didn’t change.
"No."
His voice was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"Your husband launders money for people who would kill to keep their names hidden."
The hallway went silent.
Madison shook her head.
"No."
"You already know something is wrong."
"I said no."
Dante stepped closer.
Not threatening.
Not aggressive.
Just certain.
"You didn’t come to work with bruises because you fell down stairs."
The words struck like a hammer.
Madison looked away.
For the first time, Dante saw tears gathering in her eyes.
Tiny.
Unwanted.
Refusing to fall.
"He wasn’t always like this," she whispered.
Dante said nothing.
Because he already knew.
The most dangerous men rarely started that way.
"They never do," he finally replied.
Madison closed her eyes.
The memory hit her instantly.
The charming smile.
The promises.
The flowers.
The laughter.
The man she had married.
And the stranger he had become.
When she opened her eyes again, Dante was watching her.
Not with pity.
With understanding.
That somehow felt worse.
"What happens now?" she asked.
Before Dante could answer, one of his security men appeared at the end of the corridor.
His face was pale.
Urgent.
"Boss."
Dante turned.
"What?"
The guard swallowed hard.
"We have a problem."
Dante’s expression darkened immediately.
"What kind of problem?"
The guard looked directly at Madison.
Then back at Dante.
"The target knows she’s here."
Madison’s heart stopped.
For a second, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then Dante grabbed her wrist.
Firm.
Protective.
Urgent.
"We’re leaving."
Madison stumbled after him.
"What is happening?"
Dante didn’t answer.
The elevators were too slow.
The stairs were too exposed.
Every second suddenly mattered.
As they moved through the building, Dante’s phone vibrated again.
A new message appeared.
He looked at the screen.
And for the first time that day…
The most feared man in Chicago looked genuinely alarmed.
Because attached to the message was a photograph.
A recent photograph.
Taken less than ten minutes ago.
It showed Madison entering the building.
And beneath it, only four chilling words:
We found your bait.
