She Jumped Into a Frozen River to Save a Deaf Girl... Then Chicago’s Most Dangerous Man Brought Her Home Without Knowing the Betrayal Was Already Inside His Walls

The basement of the Vane estate was not a dungeon, but it was cold, sterile, and entirely isolated from the rest of the house.

Beatrice sat in a wooden chair, her hands cuffed behind her back. She had lost her crisp, orderly appearance; her hair was messy, and her eyes were wild with fear as Stellan entered the room.

Beside Stellan stood Evelyn, his legal counsel, and Marco, his head of tactical security.

"I have served this family for twenty years, Mr. Vane!" Beatrice cried out. "You cannot treat me like this! I have rights!"

"You lost your rights the moment you put poison in a child’s house, Beatrice," Stellan said, his voice flat and devoid of any human warmth. "I know about the offshore accounts in Grand Cayman. I know about the payments from the Lucchese family. You were the one who cut the lock on the riverwalk gate."

Beatrice flinched, her lips trembling. "They... they threatened my sister's family, Stellan. They told me they would burn her house down if I didn't help them. I didn't want to hurt Clara. I just wanted to frighten you."

"Frighten me?" Stellan walked over, leaning down until his face was inches from hers. "You pushed my seven-year-old deaf daughter into a frozen river. If it weren't for Norah Ashby, my daughter would be at the bottom of the lake right now. You are going to prison, Beatrice. For attempted murder, conspiracy, and treason."

"The Lucchese family will never let me speak," Beatrice whispered, tears of terror spilling over her cheeks. "They’ll kill me in jail."

"They will try," Stellan said, standing up and turning his back on her. "But if you testify against Victor and the Lucchese underboss, I will make sure you survive long enough to serve your sentence in a federal facility. If you don't... I will let the Lucchese family have their way with you."

"I’ll talk!" Beatrice screamed as Marco began to drag her toward the exit. "I’ll tell them everything! Just protect me!"

The heavy steel door closed, leaving Stellan alone with Evelyn.

"The federal prosecutors are satisfied," Evelyn said, adjusting her glasses. "With Beatrice’s testimony and the documents we recovered from Victor’s safe, the Lucchese family is finished in Chicago. Your company is cleared, Stellan. The shipping lanes are yours."

"I don't care about the shipping lanes, Evelyn," Stellan said, his mind elsewhere. "Is the medical team with Danny?"

"They are," Evelyn replied, her expression softening. "The neurotoxin was identified in time. The private doctors administered the antidote, and his kidney function is stable. He’s going to make a full recovery."

Stellan let out a long, slow breath. "Good. And Norah?"