Chapter 5 - THE NAME SHE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR
Della's face changed the moment she saw the name.
Luca noticed.
"Who's Owen?"
"No one."
Maya looked between them.
Luca remained quiet.
He did not press.
That somehow made Della angrier.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Look at me like you're waiting for me to confess something."
"I'm waiting for you to decide whether it matters."
"It doesn't."
Her hand moved instinctively toward her stomach.
Luca saw it.
His expression changed.
"Della."
She closed her eyes.
"Owen Hale."
Maya quietly stepped toward the door.
"I should go."
Luca nodded.
Two security officers escorted her away.
When the door closed, Della stared at the blanket.
"Owen worked for Vance Development."
Luca said nothing.
"He was a financial analyst."
"Was?"
"He disappeared."
"When?"
"Nine weeks ago."
Luca's eyes narrowed.
Della continued before he could ask.
"We were together for almost two years."
She forced the next sentence out.
"He's the baby's father."
Silence.
Luca looked genuinely surprised.
Della laughed bitterly.
"Now you understand why I said there was no boyfriend."
"Did he know you were pregnant?"
"Yes."
"And he left?"
"That's what I thought."
"What happened before he disappeared?"
Della looked toward the window.
"Owen started acting strange."
"How?"
"He stopped sleeping."
"He checked the locks three times every night."
"He stopped driving his usual route to work."
"He kept saying he had found something inside Vance Development that could destroy people."
Luca stepped closer.
"What?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
"Did he mention Conrad?"
"No."
"Evan?"
Della hesitated.
"Yes."
Luca's jaw tightened.
"What did he say?"
"That Evan wasn't as stupid as everybody thought."
"What else?"
"He said Cordelia was dangerous because she'd never heard the word no."
Della almost smiled.
"That part turned out to be accurate."
Luca remained serious.
"What happened the night Owen vanished?"
Della's eyes filled.
"He came home at two in the morning."
"He was terrified."
"He told me to pack a bag."
"He said we needed to leave the city before sunrise."
"Did you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I was angry."
Her voice cracked.
"I had just learned I was pregnant."
"I thought he was panicking about the baby."
"We argued."
"He walked out."
"And never came back?"
Della shook her head.
"His phone went dead."
"His company said he'd resigned."
"His apartment access was canceled."
"His bank account stopped moving."
"I filed a missing-person report."
"What did police say?"
"Adult male."
"No evidence of violence."
"Possible voluntary disappearance."
Luca's expression became cold.
"Owen didn't leave you."
Della looked at him sharply.
"You don't know that."
"No."
"But somebody is deleting hotel footage, threatening you about Fulton Street, and sending people messages about the father of your child."
Della stared at him.
Luca's voice lowered.
"Those things are connected."
Her phone rang.
Unknown caller.
Della and Luca looked at each other.
She answered.
"Hello?"
Static.
Then breathing.
Della stood frozen.
A man's voice came through the phone.
Weak.
Barely recognizable.
"Della."
Her knees almost collapsed.
"Owen?"
Luca moved closer.
The voice returned.
May you like
"Don't trust anyone at Moretti Holdings."
Then the line went dead.
