Chapter 4 - THE RESTLESS PASTBy midnight, the storm outside had settled into a quiet, foggy drizzle.
Inside the master suite of the Cross Estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, a warm fire crackled in the massive stone fireplace.
Hannah sat on the plush leather window seat, wearing a soft silk robe, staring out at the mist rolling across the dark gardens. In her hands, she held an old, faded photograph of her father smiling in his small watch-repair shop in Queens.
Soft footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor.
Alexander walked over, stripping off his black tie and unbuttoning his collar. He sat beside her, gently wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his broad chest.
"Are you upset with how I handled him?" Alexander asked gently, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"No," Hannah whispered, leaning her head against his neck. "Trevor got off easier than he deserved. My father worked himself to death trying to pay off medical bills that Trevor’s family manufactured."
Alexander’s hands tightened protectively around her waist.
"Then why are your eyes filled with sadness, my love?" he murmured.
Hannah turned her head, looking deep into Alexander’s dark hazel eyes.
"Because Trevor said something before you arrived," Hannah confessed softly. "He mentioned a name... a name my father whispered on his deathbed, but I never understood until tonight."
Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly. "What name?"
"Vane," Hannah revealed. "Trevor’s mother’s maiden name was Vane. My father told me... 'Don't let the Vanes find the ledger.' Alexander... why would a watchmaker in Queens have a ledger that frightened a wealthy family?"
Alexander went completely still.
A subtle, dangerous shift occurred in his posture. For the first time since Hannah had met him three years ago, she saw a flicker of genuine shock cross her husband's impassive face.
"Alexander?" Hannah asked, her heart beginning to pound. "What is it?"
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Alexander reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out a small, worn leather pocket watch—a watch Hannah recognized immediately. It had belonged to her father.
"Your father wasn't just a watchmaker, Hannah," Alexander confessed softly. "He was the chief accountant for the Five Families before he went into hiding twenty years ago."
