Page 40 of My Sweetest Obsession

He approached my desk, placing the document down and taking a seat beside my uncle.

“Just give me the Cliff Notes version,” I said in irritation. Time was not on our side, and I didn’t have the patience to sift through any more stacks of papers.

“Lana was a sex trafficking victim.”

“What?” My uncle’s voice was laced with disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Enzo replied, his gaze unwavering as he met my eyes. “I ran her background through our usual channels, but then I decided to involve Homeland Security. They have access to deeper resources regarding immigration and security clearance. I cross-checked her facial recognition with missing persons files. Her face came up as a match.” He slid a photo across the desk.

“That is Anya Belova. She is the daughter of Irina and Matvey Belova from Yekaterinburg, Russia.”

I snatched the photo, my heart sinking as I looked at the girl staring back at me. Lana seemed so innocent in this picture. “How old was she here?” I asked.

“Thirteen,” Enzo replied.

“Jesus,” Luca muttered, his face twisted in disgust.

“Her parents reported her missing when she didn’t come home from school one day,” Enzo continued.

“How long has she been in the States?” Lo asked as he walked toward my desk.

“Since she was sixteen,” Enzo said. If Lana was twenty-one now, that meant she’d been in the US for a little over five years.

“How do you know she was trafficked?” Uncle pressed. “That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?”

“Her picture was on Mayor Walsh’s sex trafficking ring list.”

“So you’re thinking the Puppet Master bought her and placed her in Nico’s home? You think she’s the mole?” Luca interjected, gazing above his laptop at Enzo.

“It’s not impossible. The timeline matches with when Nico's operations were being infiltrated,” Enzo responded.

I leaned back in my chair as I thought back to when I’d hired Lana months ago. She always had an air of innocence about her. But there was also a defiance that seemed forced, especially when she saw Gigi.

Something doesn’t add up here.

“That can’t be right. She was hired months before Gigi came into the picture,” I stated.

“Actually, it makes perfect sense,” Uncle interjected with a knowing look. “He might have wanted someone keeping an eye on you all along, and Gigi was a bonus to his game.”

“The timing isn’t the part to worry about. The Puppet Master is manipulative and thrives on control. He could have used Lana’s vulnerabilities against you,” Enzo explained.

“You think he offered her something in exchange?” I asked.

“Yes. I also think he killed her when she didn’t fulfill whatever obligation he imposed on her,” Enzo replied flatly.

“Obligation?” Lo questioned.

“To weaken Nico, and to ultimately to seize his throne, his influence, his power over the city,” Enzo added. “When was the last time you saw her?” he asked, turning to me.

I had to dig deep into my memory. “The day I fired her,” I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

If I had sensed she was in danger, maybe I could have saved her.

“I came across a file on Smiley’s phone,” Enzo said. “We managed to crack it open.”

Luca shut down his laptop, his expression shifting to one of concern as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “What did you find?”

Enzo’s eyes darkened. “It was a telegram channel mirroring a dark web forum.”