Chapter 3 - A SAFE HOUSE FULL OF SECRETS
The safe house was a brownstone overlooking Lake Michigan.
Not a fortress.
Not a mansion.
A beautiful old home with tall windows, warm lighting, and bookshelves covering nearly every wall.
I stared.
“You live here?”
Adrienne shook his head.
“No.”
“Then whose house is it?”
He smiled faintly.
“Mine.”
I blinked.
“That seems contradictory.”
He laughed softly.
“It's one of my properties.”
A woman in her sixties appeared from the hallway.
“Mr. Bellini.”
Adrienne smiled.
“Rosa.”
She hugged him.
I stared.
The most feared man in Chicago was being hugged by a grandmother.
Rosa turned toward me.
“And you must be Elizabeth.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
She took my hands.
“Poor thing. You look exhausted.”
I laughed nervously.
“It's been a long evening.”
Rosa smiled.
“Come. I'll show you your room.”
I followed her upstairs.
The guest suite was enormous.
Cream-colored walls.
Fresh flowers.
A balcony facing the lake.
And a door that locked from the inside.
I noticed immediately.
Rosa smiled.
“Mr. Bellini insisted.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
She shrugged.
“He said you should feel safe.”
My throat tightened.
Later, when Rosa left, I sat on the bed and opened my novel.
The Quiet Between Storms.
My first book.
My dream.
My proof that Daniel hadn't destroyed everything.
I traced my name across the cover.
May you like
Then whispered:
“Please don't let this be another mistake.”
