“DAISY, RUN!”

Emily’s scream shattered the silence.

Marco pulled his gun.

But before he could raise it, Brutus launched himself forward.

The enormous Cane Corso struck Marco’s arm with such force that the weapon flew across the garden.

A second dog lunged at his legs.

Within seconds, the man who had commanded my security for twelve years was lying on the grass, trapped beneath two hundred pounds of snarling muscle.

“CALL THEM OFF!” Marco screamed.

I didn’t move.

For twelve years, Marco Bellini had eaten at my table, protected my home, and called my daughter his little sister.

For twenty-six months, he’d stood beside me while I searched for Lily.

And now my granddaughter was pointing at him like she’d seen a monster.

“Boss!” Marco gasped. “You’re making a mistake!”

I stepped closer.

“Then explain why my daughter’s letter warned me about you.”

His face changed.

Not fear.

Recognition.

He knew about the letter.

That told me everything.

“Take him downstairs,” I ordered.

My guards dragged him away.

Then I turned toward Emily.

She was kneeling beside Daisy, holding the little girl so tightly that her tiny blue dress had wrinkled.

“Please,” Emily whispered. “She doesn’t understand what she’s saying.”

I looked at the hospital bracelet in my hand.

LILY DE LUCA.

DAISY MILLER.

Two names.

One secret.

“Is Daisy my granddaughter?”

Emily closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

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The word struck harder than any bullet.

I looked at Daisy.

She was examining the pink bow she’d placed on Brutus.

My granddaughter.

For twenty-six months, I’d imagined Lily frightened, alone, or worse.

I’d never imagined she’d given me a granddaughter.

“Where is my daughter?”

Emily began crying.

“I don’t know where she is now.”

“Now?”

She hesitated.

I caught the word immediately.

“You’ve seen her recently.”

Emily nodded.

“Three nights ago.”

My heart stopped.

“Lily is alive?”

“She was when I saw her.”

I grabbed the back of a garden chair to steady myself.

For the first time in years, my knees threatened to give way.

“Tell me everything.”

Emily looked toward the mansion.

“Not here. There are cameras.”

I almost laughed.

“This is my house.”

“That’s what Lily thought, too.”

Those six words silenced me.

I carried Daisy inside while Emily followed.

Brutus refused to leave the child’s side.

In my private study, Emily finally explained.

She had met Lily almost three years earlier while working as a nursing assistant at a private maternity clinic.

Lily had arrived frightened, pregnant, and using a false surname.

She told Emily that someone inside her father’s organization wanted her baby.

Not to hurt the child.

To control her grandfather.

“Lily believed your granddaughter would become the one person you couldn’t refuse,” Emily said.

I stared at Daisy.

She was sitting on my expensive Persian rug, feeding imaginary cookies to Brutus.

“Why didn’t Lily come home?”

“Because she discovered something about Marco.”

“What?”

Emily swallowed.

“He wasn’t the person you thought he was.”

Before she could continue, my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I answered.

A distorted voice whispered:

“Salvatore. If you want Lily alive, stop asking questions.”

My grip tightened.

“Who is this?”

“You have something that belongs to us.”

“What?”

“The little girl.”

I looked toward Daisy.

She was laughing.

Completely unaware that someone had just threatened her.

“You come near my granddaughter,” I said, “and you’ll regret being born.”

The caller laughed softly.

“Ask Emily what happened at Saint Catherine’s Hospital.”

The line went dead.

Emily turned white.

“What happened at Saint Catherine’s?” I demanded.

She shook her head.

“Salvatore, please—”

“Tell me!”

Tears streamed down her face.

“That was where Daisy was born.”

“And?”

Emily covered her mouth.

“That was also where Lily disappeared.”

A terrible thought entered my mind.

“Did Marco take her?”

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Emily shook her head again.

“No.”

“Then who?”

She looked straight into my eyes.

“Someone who had permission to enter your daughter’s hospital room.”

My stomach twisted.

Only a handful of people had that permission.

My security chief.

My family doctor.

My lawyer.

And my younger brother, Vittorio.

Before I could speak, Daisy stood.

She walked toward the enormous portrait of my late wife, Isabella, hanging above the fireplace.

“Pretty lady,” she whispered.

I smiled sadly.

“That’s your grandmother.”

Daisy shook her head.

“No.”

She pointed behind the portrait.

“Mommy says Nana hides there.”

I froze.

“What did you say?”

Daisy reached toward the wall.

“Secret door.”

I had lived in that mansion for twenty years.

There was no secret door behind Isabella’s portrait.

At least, none that I knew about.

I lifted the painting.

Behind it was a small electronic keypad.

My blood ran cold.

Someone had installed it without my knowledge.

Daisy reached up and pressed four numbers.

1.

9.

0.

7.

My wife’s birthday.

The wall clicked.

A hidden compartment opened.

Inside sat a small black recording device and a sealed envelope.

Written across the envelope were five words.

DAD, PLEASE LISTEN BEFORE TRUSTING ANYONE.

I pressed play.

Static filled the room.

Then Lily’s voice emerged.

“Dad, if you’re hearing this, Daisy found her way to you.”

I stopped breathing.

“I’m sorry I disappeared.”

A pause.

Then her voice began trembling.

“Marco isn’t the one giving the orders.”

I stared at Emily.

Lily continued.

“The person behind everything is someone you love.”

The recording crackled.

Then came the sentence that turned my entire world upside down.

“Dad, the person who sold me wasn’t your enemy.”

A sob.

“It was Uncle Vittorio.”

And at that exact moment, my study door opened.

My younger brother stood there.

Smiling.

“Salvatore,” he said calmly. “I hear you’ve found a little girl.”

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