Chapter 164: The missing daughter

At first, she almost dismissed it. It was dangerous. Insane, perhaps. But desperate people didn’t have the luxury of rejecting every dangerous idea.

"Do you remember Don Konstantin’s missing daughter?" Don Capri frowned.

"Yes."

"Why?" Elena looked toward the window. "His daughter disappeared twenty years ago." Don Capri took another drink.

"And?"

"No one has found her." He looked at Elena. "What does that have to do with saving my daughter?" His voice rose.

"Aliya is the one being held by Viktor right now." He placed the glass down harder than necessary. "Can you imagine what she’s going through at that manufacturing site?"

Elena remained quiet. "Those men will break her." His voice cracked. "My daughter is a princess." His eyes burned.

"She doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment." Elena leaned closer. "Think, Don Capri." He looked at her.

"This is risky."

"Then don’t waste my time."

"But it could put the pieces together." Don Capri frowned. "What pieces?"

"No one knows where Don Konstantin’s daughter is."

"Yes."

"She disappeared twenty years ago."

"I know."

"And if she was alive, shouldn’t someone have found her by now?" Don Capri’s eyes narrowed. Elena continued.

"She would be around Aliya’s age." The room became quiet. Don Capri stared at her. Slowly, his expression changed.

"What are you trying to say?" Elena held his gaze. "Aliya isn’t your biological daughter." His face hardened.

"I know that."

"You adopted her when she was five."

"So?" Elena leaned forward. "So maybe we can use that." Don Capri’s eyes narrowed.

"Elena."

"If we play this correctly..." She lowered her voice. "We can make Aliya Don Konstantin’s daughter." For several seconds, Don Capri simply stared at her.

Then he laughed. A short, humorless laugh. "You’ve lost your mind."

"Have I?"

"Yes."

"Think about it."

"I am thinking about it."

"No one knows what happened to that girl." Don Capri’s smile disappeared. Elena watched him carefully. "No one knows where she is." She paused.

"Or what she looks like now." Something shifted in Don Capri’s expression. "If we can convince him..." Elena’s voice dropped to a whisper.

"If we can make Don Konstantin believe Aliya is his missing daughter..." Don Capri slowly put his glass down. Elena saw that she had his attention. "He would save her." His eyes remained fixed on her.

"He has the power to take Aliya away from Viktor."

"And more." Elena sat back. "If this works, we won’t just get our children back." A small smile appeared on her lips. "We’ll have protection."

"Power."

"Influence." She let the words settle between them. "And Viktor?" Don Capri asked. Elena’s smile widened. "Viktor won’t be able to touch us." Silence. Don Capri looked toward the window.

For the first time that morning, something other than fear appeared in his eyes. Hope. A dangerous kind. "Do you have any idea how powerful Don Konstantin is?" Elena asked. Don Capri looked back at her.

Slowly, he nodded. "Yes." Elena waited. He leaned back in his chair. Then a smile began to form. A plan. A way out. Perhaps even a way back to everything he had lost. "You’re right," Don Capri said.

Elena’s eyes sharpened. Don Capri picked up his glass. For the first time all morning, his hand wasn’t shaking. "Maybe you’re right." Don Capri stared into his glass.

Then his eyes widened.

"Wait." Elena looked at him.

"What?"

"Before Fabio died..." His voice slowed as the memory returned. "I saw him holding something." Elena leaned forward. "What?"

"A necklace." Don Capri sat up straighter. "It was gold." He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to remember every detail. "I saw it during one of our meetings. Later, I think he forgot it at my place." Elena’s eyes narrowed.

"And?" Don Capri stood abruptly and walked toward an old cabinet. He opened one of the drawers and began searching through it.

Elena watched him. "What are you looking for?"

"Wait." His fingers moved through documents, old envelopes, and things he hadn’t touched in months.

Then. "There." He pulled something out. The gold necklace caught the morning light. Elena stood. Don Capri held it in his palm. "There are initials on it." Elena moved closer.

They both looked down. The engraving was old. But still visible. Don Capri’s face slowly changed. "The initials belong to Don Konstantin’s late wife." Elena stared at the necklace.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then a smile slowly appeared on her face.

"This..." She looked up. "This could be perfect." Don Capri looked at her. "You think so?"

"Yes." Elena took the necklace from his hand and examined it carefully. "Why don’t we show it to Don Konstantin first?" Don Capri frowned.

"And then?"

"We watch his reaction." He thought about it.

"We don’t even know if his daughter had this necklace when she disappeared."

"No."

"But if she did..." His voice trailed off. Elena watched him.

"Then Fabio was close to finding her." Don Capri looked down at the necklace again.

"Or maybe he already found her." The possibility hung heavily between them.

"But if she was alive..." Don Capri continued slowly, thinking aloud. "Why didn’t Fabio take her to Don Konstantin?" Elena’s expression darkened. Don Capri looked up.

"Maybe she’s dead."

Silence.

"And if she’s dead," Elena said quietly, "then nobody can prove otherwise." Don Capri stared at her. The plan was becoming clearer. More dangerous. But clearer. "This could be our opportunity," Elena said.

Don Capri nodded slowly. "If Fabio had the necklace and never showed it to Don Konstantin..."

"Then something happened."

"Or he wanted to use the information for himself." Elena nodded. Either possibility worked in their favor. "So why don’t we contact Don Konstantin?"

Don Capri frowned.

"How?" Elena gave him a small smile. "That won’t be a problem." He looked at her. "I still have contacts." She picked up her phone.

"I’m still the widow of Don Kessler." The name carried weight. Even now. "Some of my husband’s old friends still respect me." Don Capri nodded.

"And Don Konstantin?"

"He and my late husband were friends." Elena scrolled through her contacts. "I’ll find a way."

"Then hurry." Her fingers stopped. Don Capri’s voice had become serious again. "Marcel and Aliya don’t have time."

He looked toward the window. "If we wait too long, Viktor may actually kill them." Elena looked at him. "Okay."