The first time Lily Harper spoke directly to Dante Valenti, she asked him to teach her how to become strong enough to hurt a grown man.

by

Chapter 2

THEME:
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An hour later, Julian returned with a tablet. “We checked the existing cameras.” He placed it on the desk and played several recordings from the previous month. Most showed employees entering and leaving, delivery drivers, and security personnel making routine rounds.
Julian didn’t ask why. He simply pulled out his phone and began making calls. Dante returned to his office, but the little girl’s words followed him. *He says I sleep really hard.* For the first time in years, Dante felt something dangerously close to fear.

Then Julian stopped the footage. “There.” A man stood near the rear alley, partially hidden beneath a dark umbrella. He wasn’t entering the building or delivering anything. He was simply watching the service door.

Dante leaned closer. “Can you identify him?” Julian shook his head. “Not yet.” The man appeared on three different nights, always around the same time, always keeping his face away from the cameras. Dante’s jaw tightened.

“Find out who he is,” Dante said quietly. “And don’t let him know we’re looking.” Julian nodded. “What about Emma?” Dante looked toward the window overlooking Manhattan. “Keep her schedule unchanged.”

That evening, Emma finished cleaning the lower hallway and prepared to leave with Lily. Dante happened to be standing near the elevator when Lily suddenly grabbed her mother’s hand. She stared toward the glass doors at the far end of the lobby.

“Mommy,” she whispered, “that’s him.”

Emma froze.

Dante followed Lily’s gaze. Across the street, beneath the glow of a streetlamp, stood the same dark figure from the security footage. He wasn't looking at the building anymore. He was looking directly at Lily.

Dante stepped between them and the windows. “Julian,” he said into his phone, his voice dangerously calm, “lock down the building.” Then he looked at Emma. “You and Lily are coming upstairs with me.” Emma’s frightened expression told him one thing immediately—she knew exactly who the man was.

And she had been hiding the truth for a very long time.

PART 3: Emma stood completely still.

Dante watched her face as the elevator doors closed behind them. Lily clutched her stuffed rabbit against her chest, sensing the tension without understanding it. Julian and two security men followed them upstairs, but Dante raised one hand, telling them to stay back. “Emma,” he said quietly, “who is that man?” She swallowed hard and looked at Lily.

“I don’t know his name,” she finally whispered. “But I know what he wants.” Dante’s expression hardened. “Then start talking.” Emma lowered her eyes, fighting tears. “He was my husband’s friend.”

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Table of Contents
The first time Lily Harper spoke directly to Dante Valenti, she asked him to teach her how to become strong enough to hurt a grown man.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 12
01 Chapter 1 02 Chapter 2 03 Chapter 3 04 Chapter 4 05 Chapter 5 06 Chapter 6 07 Chapter 7 08 Chapter 8 09 Chapter 9 10 Chapter 10 11 Chapter 11 12 Chapter 12

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