Chapter 6

I backed away until my back hit the wall. Romano followed, his towering frame closing in until there was no escape. My heart raced, and just as I was about to scream, he swiftly clamped his hand over my mouth.

“There’s no need for that, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. His face was inches from mine now, his dark eyes boring into mine. For a moment, I felt as though he was searching for something, his gaze lingering longer than it should have.

Something about those eyes,his intense, penetrating stare,a strange sense of familiarity in me, but I couldn’t place it.

Then he broke the silence, nodding toward a piece of paper lying on the table nearby. His hand dropped from my mouth as he reached into his jacket and handed me a card. “You might need this,” he said flatly, his tone unreadable.

He stepped back. My hands trembled as I cautiously moved to the table. I picked up the paper and unfolded it. What I saw made me gasp. My breath caught as I stared at it, disbelief washing over me.

“So, you’re the one…” I whispered absently, more to myself than to him. My fingers traced the words on the page as my mind raced. “Why did you do it?” I asked, turning to face him.

But he was gone.

I froze, my eyes darting around the room. How could he disappear so quickly? I ran to the window, scanning the street for any sign of him. Nothing. Not a car, not a shadow. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

Still clutching the paper and card, I hurried outside, my eyes scanning the street. My mind whirled with questions and confusion. I needed answers.

“Luna?” Mom’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. She stood in front of me, her face etched with concern. “What’s wrong? You look so lost. Are you looking for someone?”

“No, Mom,” I lied, shaking my head quickly. “It’s nothing.”

She frowned. “Are you sure? You’ve got worry written all over your face.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, forcing a weak smile. “Really, it’s nothing.”

She hesitated before nodding. “Alright then, let’s go inside.”

I tried to laugh off my tension. “Ladies first,” I teased.

“Oh, please,” she replied with mock indignation. “I’m a woman. Between the two of us, you’re the lady,” she added, playfully tapping my nose and giving it a little squeeze.

We both laughed, the sound momentarily easing the tension that had gripped me. She walked inside, and I lingered for a moment, casting one last glance at the street.

I shrugged off the feeling and closed the door, unknown to me Romano stood distance away,in the shadows across the street. Watching me.

I walked into the pharmacy to get mom's medications, the cool air conditioning a relief from the summer heat. I was just picking up some medication for my mom, trying not to think about how much she had been struggling lately. But as I reached the counter, something on the television caught my eye.

The screen flashed with the face of a man.The broadcaster’s voice was urgent, 

"Breaking news," the reporter continued. "Authorities have uncovered evidence linking Mr. Harper to multiple criminal activities, including money laundering and organized crime. His fortune, estimated at over fifty million dollars, was recovered at his mansion..."

 They showed footage of Harper’s mansion, along with the men who worked for him. The camera zoomed in on stacks of cash, millions of dollars, all laid out like trophies.

I watched in a daze, the words drifting around me as I tried to process what I was seeing. The story was everywhere. The details were unfolding fast, and it seemed like everyone in the store was watching. 

The news played everywhere I went. 

When I walked into the house, I found my mom out in the garden, watering the flowers like she always did in the mornings. The same news broadcast was playing in the background on the television in the living room. I couldn’t help but notice that it was still showing the police surrounding Harper’s mansion.

“Mom, did you hear this? Mr. Harper,they say he was running some huge criminal empire. Millions of dollars were found at his house,” I said, still trying to process it all.

My Mom stopped what she was doing and turned toward the screen. “Harper?” She shook her head. “I never thought anyone in this town was involved in anything like that. Seems like he was hiding in plain sight.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” I said, still glued to the TV. “Who would’ve thought? He didn’t look like someone who’d be into something like that.”

Mom sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. “I guess you never really know who’s behind closed doors. But look at him now. All that money. 

I nodded. “It’s insane. The whole city’s talking about it.”

We both watched the news in silence for a moment. It was hard to wrap my head around how someone could hide such a dark side for so long, and then just get caught like that.

I met up with Ryan and Lisa at the beach. The sun was warm, the waves were gentle, and the salty air carried laughter and chatter. Ryan was busy building a lopsided sandcastle while Lisa scrolled through her phone, occasionally glancing up to tease him about his lack of architectural skills.

“Ryan, that thing is going to collapse the second the tide comes in,” Lisa said, smirking.

“Yeah, well, Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he shot back, sticking a flag made from a popsicle stick on top.

I laughed, the sound almost foreign to me after the last few weeks. But as we walked along the shoreline, the weight of everything I had learned pressed on my chest.

“I need to tell you guys something,” I started hesitantly.