Chapter 5

Violet

“Relax,” I whispered, my voice soft enough to make him pause. “Let me take the lead.”

Completely captivated, he surrendered without question.

Slowly, my hands rose to his shoulders before one of my long crimson nails rested gently against the side of his neck.

He chuckled. “That’s an unusual—”

A sharp sting silenced him.

The amusement vanished from his face, replaced by confusion as his vision began to blur.

“What… did you…”

Minutes later, silence settled over the private suite.

Riccardo lay motionless on the bed.

I stood over him, my breathing calm as I withdrew my long crimson nail from the side of his neck. A tiny crimson bead surfaced before disappearing into his collar.

I stared at him for a brief moment.

“Rest in pieces d*ck” I whispered.

After making certain there was no pulse, I quickly retrieved a black hand glove from my bag then gathered his discarded clothes and dressed his lifeless body. After a brief struggle, I managed to button his shirt, straighten his suit jacket, and arrange him carefully on the bed, as though he’d simply fallen asleep.

I smoothed the sheets just enough to avoid drawing immediate suspicion.

Reaching into the hidden pocket sewn inside my dress, I retrieved a matte-black card.

At its center was a cracked silver heart engraved in polished metal.

I slipped the card into the inside pocket of his tailored jacket before fastening the final button.

Everything looked perfect.

I locked the bedroom door from the inside, carefully wiped away the only fingerprint I’d earlier left on the handle, then removed my gloves, picked up my handbag before crossing the adjoining exit and slipped quietly into the hallway.

By the time the elevator doors opened, I looked exactly as I had when I’d arrived—composed, elegant, and utterly unbothered.

Ruby glanced up the moment I stepped back into the club.

“Everything alright?” she asked with a teasing smile, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.

I smoothed an invisible crease from her dress. “He needed some time alone.”

Morgan rose from her chair, hiding a knowing smile. “Shall we?”

I nodded once.

Without a hint of urgency, we gathered our handbags and walked toward the exit, disappearing into the sea of music and flashing lights.

Behind the locked door upstairs, Riccardo Lefevre would not be discovered until much later. And when investigators searched his body, they would find only one clue… A black card bearing a cracked silver heart. The signature the underworld had come to fear.

———

The black sedan glided through the rain-soaked streets in silence.

Morgan kept both hands on the steering wheel, her attention fixed on the empty road ahead.

Ruby occupied the passenger seat, absently twisting the cracked-heart ring around her finger as droplets raced down the windshield.

I sat in the back seat, watching the city disappear behind us.

The mission was over. For tonight, at least.

Twenty minutes later, the familiar iron gates emerged through the mist.

Morgan pressed a button on the center console.

The gates slid open without a sound.

She drove through, and the gates closed behind us, sealing the headquarters away from the rest of the world.

The sedan rolled to a stop.

Ruby climbed out first, stretching her arms above her head.

“Remind me why rich men insist on throwing parties that never seem to end.”

A quiet laugh escaped my lips.

Morgan locked the car with a soft click.

“Come on.”

We headed inside.

The heavy front doors closed behind us. And just like that…The performance was over.

Ruby gathered her long black hair into a messy ponytail before kicking off her heels with a relieved sigh. “Home sweet home”

Morgan removed her diamond earrings and dropped them into a small tray on the console table.

I reached up and peeled away the long crimson wig. It slipped off effortlessly, revealing my real hair—a sleek black bob that framed my face.

Next came the emerald-green contact lenses.

The woman staring back at me in the hallway mirror looked nothing like the glamorous stranger who had walked into the nightclub hours earlier.

A cotton pad swept away layers of carefully blended makeup. The sharp contour faded.

Within minutes…I was simply Violet again.

Designer dresses gave way to oversized shirts and comfortable sweatpants. High heels became slippers. Hidden microphones, jewelry, and earpieces were carefully placed inside labeled compartments.

Ruby wandered toward the kitchen. “I’m making coffee.”

Morgan dropped onto one end of the sectional sofa. “I’ll take two cups.”

“I figured.”

I smiled. “I’ll settle for one.”

Before I could sit down, my phone vibrated.

The television mounted on the wall lit up as it automatically connected to my device.

A news channel filled the screen.

The anchor’s expression was unusually serious.

“Breaking News.”

“Authorities are still searching for billionaire Richard Hawthorne following last night’s shocking incident during his engagement celebration.”

Footage from the ballroom appeared.

Guests stood frozen in confusion. Security rushed through the crowd. A champagne glass shattered across polished marble.

Then came the image of the matte-black envelope resting on a silver tray.

“Witnesses claim Mr. Hawthorne abruptly abandoned the celebration moments after receiving a mysterious envelope from a member of the catering staff.”

The footage changed again.

Airport security cameras. Richard walking quickly through a private terminal. Boarding a jet.

“Sources confirm Mr. Hawthorne boarded a private flight shortly after leaving the venue.”

“However, investigators have been unable to verify his destination, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.”

Another headline appeared.

RICHARD HAWTHORNE MISSING

FAMILY REPORTS NO CONTACT

PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS JOIN SEARCH

The anchor continued.

“Neither his family, business associates, nor legal representatives have heard from Mr. Hawthorne since he departed.”

She paused before looking directly into the camera.

“Even more intriguing, investigators have noted striking similarities to several previous cases involving influential businessmen who disappeared shortly after receiving similarly described anonymous envelopes.”

Images flashed briefly across the screen.

Different men. Different cities. The same black envelope.

“Authorities have not confirmed whether these incidents are connected, but speculation continues to grow over the identity of whoever is behind the mysterious deliveries.”

The broadcast ended.

Silence settled over the room.

Ruby walked in carrying four steamy mugs of coffee.

She looked at the frozen image on the television before letting out a quiet laugh.

“Looks like the entire country is trying to solve a puzzle they’ll never understand.”

Morgan accepted her mug. “Emphasis on never.”

I switched off the television.

Ruby settled into the armchair. “I almost feel sorry for him.”

Morgan snorted. “You almost did.”

Ruby grinned. “Very almost.”

I wrapped both hands around my mug. “The panic started faster than I expected.”

“So did the media,” Ruby added. “They’ve turned one frightened businessman into the biggest story of the week.”

Morgan smiled faintly. “And it’ll stay that way.”

The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that.

For a while…the headquarters echoed with quiet laughter.

———

Hours later…

The digital clock on the wall read 2:17 A.M.

The entire headquarters slept.

The only light came from the operations room.

Monitor after monitor illuminated Morgan’s face as lines of data streamed endlessly across the screens.

Morgan sat before the central screen, fingers moving quickly across the keyboard as files, photographs, and surveillance footage flashed past one after another.

Name after name. Face after face. Nothing.

She leaned back in frustration, rubbing tired eyes.

“…Come on.”

The database returned another empty result.

Her shoulders slumped.

A soft pair of footsteps approached.

Without saying a word, I pulled a chair beside her

For a moment…Neither of us spoke.

I rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

She didn’t answer.

I squeezed her shoulder softly. “We’ll find the bastard who took your sister.”

Morgan kept staring at the screen. “I’ve been telling myself that for years.”

Her voice cracked. For the first time that night, the calm mask she’d worn finally shattered.

“I wake up thinking about her.” A shaky breath escaped her lips. “I go to sleep thinking about her.”

She swallowed hard. “Every lead disappears. Every witness goes silent. It feels like the whole world already forgot she ever existed.”

A single tear slipped down her cheek. “But I can’t.”

Her trembling hands curled into fists. “I can’t move on. If I don’t find him…If I don’t make him pay…I’ll never know peace.”

I remained silent, giving her space to breathe.

She lowered her head. “My sister trusted me. I was supposed to protect her.”

Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “Instead…” Her breath hitched. “I buried my own twin.”

The room fell completely silent.

I gently rubbed her trembling shoulder.

“I don’t even know if I’d recognize the man responsible anymore.”

“You will,” I said softly.

She looked at me through tear-filled eyes. “You and Ruby already found your answers. You both finally got justice.”

A faint, bittersweet smile appeared through her tears. “I’m happy for you. Maybe…maybe one day it’ll be my turn.”

“It will,” I said without hesitation. “We’re your family now. We stand together.” A pause “We’ll keep searching. As long as it takes.”

Another pause “You have me. You have Ruby. We’re not leaving.”

I gave her shoulder one final reassuring squeeze. “And when the truth comes to light…we’ll face it together.”

Morgan smiled through her tears. “Thank you.”

Just then…soft footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Ruby appeared in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“I knew I’d find you two in here.”

She walked over and leaned against the desk.

After taking one look at Morgan, she understood.

She didn’t ask questions. She simply smiled gently. “You know…There are women out there just like us.”

Morgan looked up. “What do you mean?”