CHAPTER 674. RED PROMISE. A Foolish ActThe woman’s voice was so sharp that, if he hadn’t loved her as much as he did, Mauro probably would have been afraid of her.“Ainara, don’t be childish!” Rosso protested. “Whoever is doing this knows… knows things. About us, about you! Damn it, they know things about you that even I didn’t know!”Ainara looked at her father as if he were a complete stranger, and her final gesture was to step aside, leaving his path to the door unblocked.“I couldn’t care less about what’s known about me. I’m not the one with something to hide. Now do me a favor and leave. If I have to say it again, I’ll call security.”Rosso stormed past her with a growl of frustration. If he had expected any help from the Kellers, it was evident he had been wrong. But as soon as the door closed behind him, Mauro reached Ainara, and she hid her face in his chest.“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, my love. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to… I didn’t want to hurt you like this,”
CHAPTER 675. RED PROMISE. Probable CauseCalling it a “foolish act” was an understatement. Mauro was ready to give Lugh the beating of his life after seeing what information he had on Ainara, so it was better to have company. He left his wife and daughter at his parents’ house, where his mother kept them entertained inside while the security team kept watch outside.He and Loan got into a car and drove across half the city before arriving at one of the residential areas far from the urban center. The night had fully fallen, and the apartment building was eerily quiet.“Is there no one here or what?” Mauro muttered, his instincts on high alert, as the elevator doors opened on their floor.“Well, I took the liberty of asking your uncle Jhon to dig around a bit. Turns out Lugh bought this entire floor. It seemed like a good real estate investment at the time, but renting out luxury apartments didn’t go as planned.”“So what? Does he owe on all of this, or is he bankrupt, or…?” Mauro aske
CHAPTER 676. RED PROMISE. You Have a Wife Now, Remember?For Ainara, it only took June falling completely asleep in one of her new grandparents’ guest rooms for her to let out all the worry she’d been hiding from her daughter.“Where are they? What’s going on, Danna? And don’t tell me ‘nothing,’ because I’ve seen you whispering into that phone three times already, and I’m sure you’re not talking about fashion.”Her mother-in-law looked at her uneasily. While she trusted her husband completely, she couldn’t deny that she was also dying of worry.“The family lawyer called me,” Danna murmured. “Loan and Mauro are at the police station. I’m not entirely sure what happened, but…”“They’re under arrest?” Ainara interrupted, unable to believe it.“It seems so, but Loan will fix it. I’m sure he’ll—Ainara! Daughter, where are you going?” Danna tried to stop her, but Ainara was already grabbing her coat from the hook by the door.She paused in the doorway, looking at the team of bodyguards stat
CHAPTER 677. RED PROMISE. A SecretThe detective was sure he wasn’t that lucky, but the fact remained—he couldn’t afford to let even the smallest clue or opportunity slip away.“Well, I’m no saint, but while I can’t give you the confession you’re hoping for, I might be able to shed some light on your murder case,” Ainara replied. Mauro shook his head, visibly worried.“Babe, this isn’t a good idea. Please.”“It’s okay, sweetheart,” she smiled at him, trying to reassure him. “There’s nothing to worry about. You need to understand—Lugh had nothing on me. No matter what he said, he had absolutely nothing. I’ve never stolen anything in my life, I haven’t committed any crimes, I wasn’t a stripper or a prostitute, and I never got involved in the shady business surrounding campaigns. I’ve always stayed away from all of that. So whatever he may have claimed, I promise you, he had nothing to use against me for blackmail.”“Blackmail?” The detective pulled out the chair in front of them and ges
CHAPTER 678. RED PROMISE. StrategyMauro could swear he was about to swallow his tongue from the shock, and the detective sitting across from them wasn’t faring much better. He knew Ainara was a strong and shrewd woman, but he also believed she was perfectly capable of carrying out her threat—and he knew she’d do it to get him out of jail.“Mrs. Keller, you can’t…” the detective began, but she cut him off with a sarcastic smile.“Please. Freedom of speech was enshrined in this country’s Constitution long ago, so don’t bother telling me what I can or can’t do. Senator Rosso is a suspect, and…”“But he’s not the only one,” Mauro interjected quietly. Ainara looked at him. No, he wasn’t the only one, and maybe that was the real problem. Any one of their enemies was powerful enough in politics to make the police hesitate to go after them.“Can we speak privately?” she asked the detective. She squeezed Mauro’s hand gently, knowing he’d protest. But with or without his objections, she left t
CHAPTER 679. RED PROMISE. Someone ElseThe face of Senator Rosso visibly contorted. His surprise lasted only a fraction of a second, just enough for Ainara to realize that part of what she had said was new to him—either Lugh’s death or her accusation."Dead? What do you mean Lugh is dead?!" he snapped, raising his voice, unconcerned about shouting in the middle of the empty, early-morning venue."Dead. Murdered!" Ainara replied with determination."No... That can't be...""Well, it is, exactly as you heard. I just saw the photos, and believe me, they're not pretty. And I can’t think of anyone else who’d want to kill him. Let’s be honest—you were the only one he was blackmailing."Senator Rosso took two steps back, his expression helpless, but Ainara seemed unwilling to give him any ground."Shut up! Don’t say that, not even—""Why not?! You don’t have to pretend in front of me, Father!" she spat sarcastically. "You don’t care about anything except your precious career and your fake sp
CHAPTER 680. RED PROMISE. A FamilyHer heart pounded in her chest like a massive cathedral bell as she uttered the words:"I’ll give you what you want. I’ll give you June... but first, meet with me."She wasn’t even sure if the person behind Lugh’s death was using that phone, if it was who she imagined, or if they’d even answer her. But she had a feeling, that sixth sense that made her take last-minute decisions.She felt the door beside her open and saw Jhon quietly climb into the passenger seat, while one of his men sat in the back with a small laptop. They were all focused on the response, holding their breath.For a long moment, there was a sepulchral silence, then a woman’s voice came through the line:"Why?""Why what?" Ainara replied."Why would you give me your daughter?" repeated the voice, and Ainara knew it was time to gamble everything."Sorry, I think I’m not speaking to the right person," she said firmly, hanging up the call just two seconds before it was returned."You
CHAPTER 681. RED PROMISE. A DoubtNo one could argue with the determination of a Keller when the love of their life was in danger, and it didn’t take a genius to see that Ainara was the love of his life.The detective took a deep breath, trying to calm his anxiety, but eventually motioned for everyone to leave and pointed toward his office. Ainara, Mauro, Loan, Jhon, and the two officers most trusted with the case followed him inside."If we’re going to do this, there are two things you need to know," the detective began. "First, I can’t risk a child’s life to catch a murderer. And second, if you’re going to walk into the jaws of that particular wolf..." He hesitated. "Honestly, I’m not sure we can protect you the way we should. I mean, if these people killed our victim—the way they killed him...""They were looking for something important, detective," Mauro sighed. "Something that could put what they want right into their hands.""The question is why," the detective pressed."I suppo