Chapter 2 - THE WATCH THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOST FOREVER
Daniel Moretti had ordered men out of his house for less than what Emma Carter had just done.
Yet instead of waking her, he slowly withdrew his hand from beneath his pillow.
The gun stayed where it was.
For a long moment, he watched the exhausted young woman sleeping beside him.
Her chestnut hair had escaped its bun. Her work uniform was wrinkled, and one hand rested near her cheek.
Even asleep, she looked worried.
Daniel noticed something else.
Her shoes were still on.
The soles were worn almost completely smooth.
He remembered Luke mentioning that she worked another job during the day.
A diner. Nine hours on her feet.
Then two buses to his mansion.
Daniel reached for the folded blanket at the foot of his bed and carefully pulled it over her shoulders.
Emma stirred.
"Mom, I paid it," she murmured. "Please don't worry."
Daniel's expression changed.
She wasn't dreaming about money she wanted.
She was dreaming about money she owed.
Then the bedroom door opened.
"Daniel?"
Luke stepped inside, stopped, and stared.
His eyes moved from Daniel to Emma.
"What the hell happened?"
"Lower your voice."
"That's your maid."
"I'm aware."
"She's in your bed."
"I can see that, Luke."
Luke approached.
"Do you understand what this looks like? Your bedroom is supposed to be off-limits. If the staff hears—"
"Then they can learn to mind their business."
Luke stared at his oldest friend.
"Two months ago, you fired a nurse for touching your shoulder."
"She touched me after I told her not to."
"And this is different?"
Daniel glanced at Emma.
"She hasn't asked me for anything."
Before Luke could answer, Emma woke.
Her eyes opened slowly.
Then she realized where she was.
"Oh, my God."
She scrambled upright so quickly that the blanket fell to the floor.
"Mr. Moretti, I'm sorry!"
Daniel watched her face turn pale.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep. I swear I didn't!"
"Emma."
"I can explain."
"Then explain."
She looked at Luke, then back at Daniel.
"Your emergency light was flashing in the upstairs hallway. I came to check on you."
Daniel frowned.
"What emergency light?"
"The little red one beside the linen closet."
Luke immediately stiffened.
Daniel had a bedside assistance system, but it hadn't been used in weeks.
"Go on," Daniel said.
Emma twisted her fingers together.
"When I came inside, you were shaking. You kept saying you couldn't make the pain stop."
Daniel looked away.
He remembered the pain.
He remembered calling for someone.
But nothing afterward.
"I brought you water," Emma continued. "Then you grabbed my hand."
Luke looked surprised.
Daniel remained silent.
"You asked me not to leave until you fell asleep," she whispered.
"And?"
"I sat beside you. I was only supposed to stay a few minutes."
Her eyes filled.
"I guess I fell asleep too."
Daniel studied her expression.
She wasn't making excuses.
She looked genuinely terrified of losing the money she needed for her mother.
"You're not fired," he said.
Emma blinked.
"Sir?"
"You're not fired. Go home and get some sleep."
"But my shift—"
"Will be paid."
Luke opened his mouth.
Daniel silenced him with a glance.
Emma climbed down from the enormous bed, embarrassed beyond words.
As she reached for her fallen blanket, something slipped from her uniform pocket.
A small silver object struck the marble floor.
The sound was faint.
But Daniel heard it.
Emma hurried to retrieve it.
Too late.
Daniel had already recognized the object.
"Stop."
She froze.
His voice had changed completely.
"What's in your hand?"
"Nothing important, sir."
"Show me."
Emma hesitated before opening her palm.
A silver pocket watch rested against her skin.
Its glass was cracked.
Its hands had stopped at eleven forty-two.
Daniel couldn't breathe.
For two years, he had believed that watch was gone forever.
It had belonged to his father.
The old man had carried it through thirty years of business meetings, family arguments, and dangerous nights.
When Daniel turned eighteen, his father had given it to him.
On the back were seven words.
Come home, no matter what. Love, Dad.
Daniel had been carrying it the night he was shot.
Nobody had recovered it.
Not the police.
Not his guards.
Not Luke.
"Where did you get that?" Daniel whispered.
Emma looked frightened.
"My mother gave it to me."
Daniel's eyes lifted.
"Your mother?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Before she moved into memory care."
Daniel extended a trembling hand.
Emma placed the watch in his palm.
He turned it over.
There was the familiar engraving.
And beneath the cracked glass, the hands remained frozen at the exact minute his life had changed.
Luke stepped closer.
"Danny, what is it?"
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
"This watch was in my hand when the sniper hit me."
Emma stared at him.
Then Daniel asked a question that made her stomach drop.
May you like
"Emma, how did your mother get something that disappeared from the scene of my attempted murder?"
And for the first time since entering the Moretti mansion, Emma realized her mother's strange stories might not have been stories at all.
