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"Enzo," Matteo greeted cheerfully as I approached.
"Teo," I smiled. "I hope you all are having a good time.”
“This is a great party,” Luca added.
“I'm glad you're enjoying it. Have you seen Aurora?”
“Not since we left the dance floor,” Matteo answered.
“I can't seem to find her anywhere.”
“Perhaps she's in the restroom?” Mira suggested. “I could go check on her for you.”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
Mira and I made our way to the ballroom’s side door that led to a small corridor where the bathrooms were. I waited outside while she ducked into the bathroom, but she quickly reemerged.
“There's no one in there.”
“It's so strange. I don't know where she could have gone.”
I worried that maybe everything had gotten to be too much for her. I wanted to find her and reassure her. My world could be overwhelming.
“Enzo?” A man's voice came from the ballroom door, and I turned to find Dario, Matteo's cousin who had flown in from Las Vegas. “Teo said that you were looking for Aurora. I think I saw her heading through this door about ten minutes ago.
“So, shewasin the bathroom?” I looked around. “But where could she be now?”
“Maybe she walked outside to get some fresh air?” Mira said, heading to the glass door that exited to the parking structure.
“Maybe.” We walked outside and the three of us spread out to look for Aurora but there was no one in sight.
“If she came out this way, she couldn’t have gone far,” Dario called out as he met me back where we’d started.
“I don't understand where she would have gone or why she would have left.” I looked around, bemused as Mira rejoined us.
“So, nothing happened before she left?”
“No. Nothing. I left her dancing with Teo and that was the last time I saw her. Except…” I started but I couldn't bring myself to finish.
“Except what?” Mira asked, stepping closer to me.
“Domenico Romano stopped by. He was threatening me and when that didn't work he began to threaten Aurora.”
“He was here? And he threatened Aurora?”
“He didn't threaten her outright and it wasn't anything that would be an immediate threat, it was more of leverage.”
“What kind of leverage?” Teo interrupted us and I turned to face him.
“He wanted me to remove my name from consideration for the council so that he could attempt to get one of his men nominated instead.”
“And you said no.”
“Of course, I said no. We can't have one of Romano's men in that kind of power. He said that I had until the end of the week to rethink my decision. I didn't think he would go after her yet, but now that we can't find her, I don't know what other explanation there could be.”
“We need to check security footage. Mira, will you stay and make sure that everything goes smoothly with the guests and Ludovic? We don't want anyone getting suspicious of this before we know what we're dealing with. Dario, you help Mira. Enzo and I will head up to the security office and go through the footage from around the time Dario saw her last.”
“Of course,” Mira said with determination in her voice as she and Dario rushed back into the ballroom.
