Chapter 4 - The Senator’s Threat
By noon the following day, the news broke across every local network.
“SENATOR STERLING’S NEPHEW MISSING: FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED AT DOWNTOWN DINER.”
Sadi sat in the grand library of the Vance Manor, watching the television screen above the fireplace. The news broadcast showed live footage of Rusty's Diner—now surrounded by yellow police tape, media vans, and armed police officers.
Carl and the truckers had already been questioned by the police. Thankfully, as Dante had promised, his men had intercepted the security footage and wiped the diner’s servers clean before the cops arrived. On paper, Trent Sterling had simply vanished into thin air after entering the diner.
A soft click of high heels echoed against the hardwood floor.
Sadi turned to see Chloe walking slowly into the library, wearing a soft cream-colored cardigan, holding a cup of warm tea. Her face was still bruised, but the color had returned to her cheeks, and her posture was remarkably calmer.
"Can I join you?" Chloe asked softly.
"Of course," Sadi said, quickly standing up to help her sit in the plush leather armchair beside her. "Should you be walking?"
"The doctor said light walking is good for me now," Chloe smiled weakly. She took a sip of her tea and looked at Sadi with deep, emotional gratitude. "I never got to say thank you properly. Last night... I thought I was going to die in that parking lot."
"You don't need to thank me, Chloe," Sadi said, sitting opposite her. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I have in months," Chloe murmured, looking down at her belly. "For the first time in two years, I don't have to walk on eggshells. Dante moved me into the main house. He placed guards at every entrance."
"Is your brother always this... intense?" Sadi asked, picking her words carefully.
Chloe chuckled softly, a genuine sound. "Dante took over the family business when our father died eight years ago. He had to become ruthless to keep our enemies from destroying us. But inside... he cares about his family more than his own life. He would burn the world down before he lets anyone hurt me."
Chloe paused, looking closely at Sadi. "He hasn't stopped asking about you, you know."
Sadi blinked. "What?"
"Dante," Chloe smiled warmly. "He usually doesn't let anyone outside the family stay in the main house. He put you in the room right across from his private study. He’s been reading your background file all morning."
Before Sadi could respond to that startling revelation, the heavy doors of the library burst open.
Dante stepped inside, flanked by Marco and his head of security. His face was thunderous, holding a secure satellite phone in his hand.
"Dante?" Chloe stood up nervously. "What happened?"
"Senator Sterling just called my private line," Dante said, his voice laced with venom. "He knows Trent was at the diner. He knows Trent was tracking Chloe."
"Does he know about Sadi?" Chloe gasped.
"He knows a waitress was working the graveyard shift," Dante replied, his eyes turning to Sadi. "The Senator’s private security team raided Sadi's apartment thirty minutes ago. They tore the place apart looking for her."
Sadi’s blood ran cold. "My apartment? They... they destroyed my home?"
"They burned it," Dante said bluntly. "They left a message on the street outside. Senator Sterling has placed a five-hundred-thousand-dollar bounty on the head of the woman who broke his nephew's leg."
Sadi gasped, stumbling back against the sofa. Her modest apartment, her few personal belongings, her entire fragile, hardworking life—gone in an instant. And now, half the mercenaries in Chicago were hunting her for a fortune.
Dante walked across the room, stopping directly in front of Sadi. He reached out, his long fingers gently picking up a stray strand of hair from her cheek and tucking it behind her ear. His touch was surprisingly soft, contrasting sharply with the cold fury in his eyes.
"Don't be afraid, Sadi," Dante whispered, his thumb lightly brushing her jawline. "Your apartment was just brick and mortar. I will build you a new life."
"I don't want a new life!" Sadi cried out, tears of frustration finally welling up in her eyes. "I just wanted to work my shift, pay my rent, and be left alone! Now I have no home, no job, and a price on my head!"
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Dante looked down at her trembling shoulders, his dark eyes flashing with a fierce, possessive resolve.
"Then let them try to collect it," Dante said, his voice echoing through the silent library. "Because to get to you, they have to go through me."
