Chapter 2 - SOMEONE WAS USING MY NAME
“Do not go home.”
Dominic’s voice had changed.
No arrogance.
No anger.
Command, yes.
But now with facts beneath it.
That mattered.
I stood under the restaurant awning.
“Who accessed the server?”
“Your credentials.”
“From where?”
“Remote terminal.”
“Which one?”
Silence.
“Dominic.”
“Your apartment.”
My stomach dropped.
I looked across street again.
The black SUV remained.
“Is that yours?”
“What?”
“Black SUV across from the restaurant.”
A pause.
“No.”
There.
I stepped back toward door.
Marcus opened it from inside.
He saw my face.
“What happened?”
Dominic heard through phone.
“Is Santoro with you?”
“Yes.”
His tone sharpened.
“Go inside. Stay where there are cameras and witnesses.”
Marcus looked at phone.
“Put him on speaker.”
I did.
“Dominic.”
“Marcus.”
Nothing friendly.
Good.
Dominic continued:
“My security is three minutes away.”
Marcus looked at black SUV.
“Make it two.”
Then he pulled me back inside.
No touching once I was moving.
Good.
Restaurant manager closed front shades halfway.
Not locked.
Important.
I called 911.
Dominic did not object.
Good.
Police arrived before his men.
Also important.
The SUV left before either.
Cameras captured plate.
Stolen.
Of course.
Then my apartment.
Police entered first.
Dominic’s security waited.
Good.
No private cleanup.
The back window had been forced.
My home office computer was on.
A remote-access tool running.
My company login active.
Someone had used my machine to enter west server.
There.
I stared at screen from hallway while detective photographed.
My skin crawled.
Nothing looked stolen.
That was worse.
A person had walked through my space only to become me.
Good.
Dominic arrived twenty minutes later.
He stopped outside police tape.
Did not cross.
I noticed.
The old Dominic would have expected tape to move.
Tonight he waited until detective invited him.
Good.
His eyes found me.
Then Marcus.
His jaw tightened.
But he said:
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Anything missing?”
“Not obvious.”
Good.
Then to detective:
“My company’s counsel can provide server logs.”
Not:
my men will.
Good.
The detective nodded.
Marcus stood beside kitchen doorway.
Dominic looked at him.
“You can leave.”
I said:
“No.”
Both men turned.
There.
“Marcus stays until I decide otherwise.”
Dominic’s expression froze.
Good.
Marcus did not smile.
Better.
I continued.
“He told me someone may be leaking internal drafts.”
Dominic looked at Marcus.
There.
“How much did you tell her?”
“Enough.”
Dominic’s voice went quiet.
“Why?”
Marcus crossed arms.
“Because you weren’t.”
There.
I looked between them.
“Stop.”
They did.
Interesting.
Good.
“Dominic, did you suspect me?”
His eyes moved to mine.
Long silence.
Then:
“Yes.”
There.
It hurt more than I expected.
Even after dinner warning.
Even after everything.
“You thought I was the leak.”
“I considered it.”
“Since when?”
“Three weeks.”
I laughed.
“Three weeks.”
“Yes.”
“That is why you’ve been impossible.”
“No.”
I stared.
Dominic looked away.
“Not entirely.”
Good.
“Why didn’t you ask me?”
“Because if you were involved, asking would warn you.”
There.
Logical.
Still damaging.
“So instead you monitored me, criticized everything, and told me I was replaceable.”
His face tightened.
“The monitoring was protocol.”
“Do not hide behind policy.”
He stopped.
Good.
“And the rest?”
Silence.
Then:
“I was angry that I could not rule you out.”
There.
I understood.
He trusted me more than almost anyone.
Suspicion felt like betrayal before proof.
So he punished me for possibility.
Good.
“That is not acceptable.”
“I know.”
Better.
Marcus laughed once without humor.
Dominic looked.
“You have something to add?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t.”
I said it before he could.
Marcus stopped.
Good.
I was tired of men turning my crisis into competition.
I sat at kitchen table.
My chair.
My apartment.
At least technically.
Though now violated.
Detective asked us questions.
Who knew my address?
Many people at Caruso Group.
Who knew my company credentials?
Only me.
But IT admins could reset.
Who knew about west server?
Small group.
Marcus was not officially one.
Interesting.
I asked him:
“How did you know west server?”
The room changed.
Marcus looked at me.
Dominic went still.
There.
Marcus said:
“I heard Vitelli mention it.”
“When?”
“Two nights ago.”
“Where?”
“A private dinner.”
“Why were you dining with Vitelli?”
Dominic’s voice sharpened.
Marcus ignored him.
“Because I have my own negotiations.”
“About what?”
“Shipping.”
Dominic said:
“Bullshit.”
Good.
The detective looked between.
I said:
“Let him answer.”
Marcus did.
“Vitelli asked whether Dominic was keeping the side letter on west server. I had never heard the term before.”
That explained.
Maybe.
“Why didn’t you tell Dominic then?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Because I don’t trust everyone around him.”
“Do you trust him?”
Marcus’s expression changed.
“Sometimes.”
There.
Good.
Dominic laughed coldly.
“Convenient.”
I rubbed temples.
The detective asked for names with access.
Dominic listed:
me.
His general counsel Elena Park.
Chief operating officer Victor Rinaldi.
IT director Aaron Cole.
Dominic.
And one former executive credential technically deactivated:
Thomas Vale.
I knew Thomas.
Fired two months earlier for expense fraud.
He hated me because I found discrepancy.
There.
My stomach tightened.
“Thomas knew where I lived.”
Dominic looked.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He attended your housewarming.”
I had forgotten.
Eighteen months.
Before things became so cold.
Thomas brought wine.
Good.
“Where is he now?”
No one knew.
Police would find.
Good.
Then company logs arrived.
Remote access from my apartment.
But login challenge had been bypassed using an admin recovery token issued by IT.
Who generated?
Aaron Cole.
Three days earlier.
Reason:
Diana password synchronization error.
I never reported one.
There.
Dominic’s face hardened.
“Where is Aaron?”
His security chief on phone answered:
not home.
No answer.
Good.
Police notified.
No men sent.
Dominic looked like that cost him physically.
Good.
Then my personal laptop.
The intruder had opened folder:
FAMILY.
TAX.
RESUME.
PRIVATE.
My skin crawled.
No deletion.
Then one document created.
A text file.
YOU WERE WARNED.
There.
No signature.
Good.
Marcus said:
“This is not just corporate espionage.”
Obviously.
The detective took notes.
Then found a tiny device under desk.
Hardware keylogger.
Installed recently.
I almost vomited.
Someone had been inside before tonight.
There.
“How long?”
Forensics would tell.
Maybe weeks.
Good.
Dominic looked at me.
His face lost color.
He had spent eighteen months telling himself security protected me.
Someone walked into my apartment anyway.
Good.
Then I asked:
“Was my building security yours?”
Dominic hesitated.
No.
Independent building.
Good.
“Did your people ever enter without me?”
“No.”
I believed.
Maybe.
Then the detective asked whether I had somewhere else to stay.
Yes.
My sister Julia in Cambridge.
Good.
Not Dominic’s house.
Not Marcus’s.
I chose.
Dominic said:
“I can place security outside.”
I looked.
“Independent.”
He nodded.
“I’ll pay.”
“No.”
“Diana.”
“No.”
He stopped.
Good.
Police victim services gave referrals.
I hired licensed firm with my money for immediate days.
Expensive.
Worth.
Good.
Then Dominic said:
“Take paid leave.”
I laughed.
“I’m suspended?”
“No.”
“Then no.”
He stared.
“I need access to company records to clear my name.”
There.
Good.
“Diana, you were just targeted.”
“Yes.”
“And your login used.”
“Yes.”
“I cannot have you on system until forensic review.”
That was fair.
I hated it.
Good.
“Then paid administrative leave.”
“Yes.”
“In writing.”
“Yes.”
“Not disciplinary.”
“Yes.”
Good.
Marcus looked amused.
I glared.
He stopped.
Good.
Before leaving apartment, I packed essentials.
This time not in secret.
Dominic stood in hallway.
He did not enter bedroom.
Good.
I found Marcus’s handkerchief in my purse.
Strange.
I almost returned.
Then kept.
Not as romance.
Evidence of park.
Maybe.
Good.
In hallway, Dominic said:
“I’m sorry.”
I stopped.
“For what part?”
He looked.
“All of it.”
Too broad.
I waited.
He understood.
“I’m sorry I told you that you were replaceable.”
Good.
“I’m sorry I treated suspicion like permission to punish you.”
There.
Better.
“And I’m sorry I listened to a private conversation through a security system you did not understand was capable of that.”
Good.
I looked.
No:
but.
No justification.
Good.
“Thank you.”
Not forgiveness.
Acknowledgment.
Then Marcus came from kitchen.
Dominic’s expression closed.
I saw old jealousy.
There.
I was exhausted.
“Do not.”
He looked.
“What?”
“Turn him into the problem.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“He asked my secretary to dinner while investigating my leak.”
“Your secretary.”
I repeated.
His face changed.
Good.
“I’m not your property.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
Maybe.
Good.
Marcus said quietly:
“She’s right.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Do not use her to score points.”
There.
Interesting.
Marcus’s face hardened.
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you ask about west server?”
“I made a mistake.”
“Convenient.”
“Enough.”
I snapped.
Both stopped.
Good.
I picked suitcase.
“Julia’s.”
Dominic asked:
“Can I call tomorrow?”
I thought.
“No.”
His face changed.
“Email through my personal account if it is directly about investigation.”
“Yes.”
“Nothing else.”
“Yes.”
Good.
Marcus asked:
“Can I—”
“No.”
He blinked.
Fair.
“Neither of you.”
Good.
I left with independent security officer.
In elevator alone, I finally exhaled.
For eighteen months, I had built my days around anticipating Dominic.
Today, three different men had anticipated me:
Dominic suspecting.
Marcus warning.
Someone impersonating.
I was done being the object in other people’s strategies.
Whatever came next, I wanted facts.
Not protection.
Not charm.
Not jealousy.
Facts.
And the first fact was ugly.
Someone inside Caruso Group had entered my home before.
The second was worse.
May you like
They knew Dominic would suspect me.
Which meant whoever was doing this understood him almost as well as I did.
