Secrets [H.S.]

47.

Aurora DiLorenzo 

February 28 

I've been trying to take over more and not rely on Harry and Niall so much, but I'm fucking stressed. 

Not only is it stressful being the so called leader of this mafia, but we've got the cops on us. They've been snooping around a ton in the last month and a half. We've had to lay low for a bit and actually act more like a printing company.  

I don't know what to do, how to act. They keep coming around, asking to see certain reports and receipts to prove this business is what it says it is. Harry keeps assuring me that we're fine, that we have all the evidence to prove that we are nothing more than a printing company. He keeps saying that, but if that were true why would they still be lurking around? It seems that every step forward we take, the cops are right there to knock us back a few steps. 

I run my hands up and down my face in frustration. I groan out loud, trying to push back the tears threatening to spill. I've cried way too much in the last month. My stress is becoming unbearable. I drop my head onto my desk, wrapping my hands around my head. I take deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself but nothing seems to be working. 

I want to break something. I feel like I have no control over anything. My hands shake above my head as I continue taking breaths. 

"Miss. DiLorenzo, there's an officer here to see you. Should I let him in?" The voice of Mary filtered through the intercom system in my office. I perked my head up, groaning at the fact that this was happening right now. Harry was out of the office for the next hour or so, so I couldn't use him as backup for this unexpected visit. 

Hitting the speak button, I tell Mary to let him in. I wait a few moments before hearing a brief knock on the door. 

"Come in." I call out to the officer on the other side. I sit up straight in my chair just as the door pushes open and in steps the officer. I recognize him instantly. He's not the usual officer that has been coming around lately, instead it's none other than the fucking officer that questioned me when my father died. 

"Good afternoon, Miss. DiLorenzo. I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Detective Taylor." He steps up to my desk, taking a seat in the empty chair in front of me. 

"I remember you. What do I owe the pleasure for this visit?" I ask with a small smile, trying to appear normal. 

"As you know, we've been investigating your father's company, and from what I'm aware of, you've taken over his spot since his passing." 

"I don't mean to be rude, but what is a homicide–detective you said– doing investigating this case. It has nothing to do with homicide." I furrow my brows in faux confusion. They're getting closer and I'm doing everything in my power to not let my nerves show. 

"I was asked to help in this case as I was the lead officer at the time on your father's case. Now as a detective, I wouldn't normally bother, but it seems that there's some illegitimacy behind this business and they believe it might be connected to your father's case. Now your boyfriend was very adamant about leaving alone as you were grieving and all, but now I think it's time we reopen this case." He eyes me, watching for any noticeable changes in my features, but I remain unmoving. 

What the fuck could they possibly be reopening this case for? I had made sure Harry told them we wanted to move on from this and let my sister and I mourn our father without the police constantly coming to us and trying to figure out what happened to my father. 

"I'd really appreciate it if we didn't reopen the case. My sister and I are still grieving our father. It's barely been six months and we just want to move on from this." I try to steady my breathing, starting to get upset from this conversation. Harry, Niall, and I were working on it. We had already found the man who killed my father, we were working on finding the man behind this entire thing though. I couldn't deal with the cops lurking around anymore than they were. 

"I'm sure you would appreciate that, unfortunately that's something we really need to look into following the claims of this business." He crossed his eyes over his chest, giving me a look that said he knew something we didn't. 

"With all due respect, sir, I'm a 23-year-old who found her father dead in my home. I had to break the news to my little sister while she had just gone off to college. I had to take over my father's business well before I was ready to because of his passing. So if you're insinuating what I believe you did the day my father died, I'd appreciate if you'd stop. I'm getting real tired of saying the same thing over and over again, so if you're not here to arrest me, you can kindly get out of my building and if you or any of your other lovely officers need anything, you can speak to my lawyer." I smile, the sarcasm dripping from my tone. I clench my teeth so hard my jaw hurts. 

He squints at me before giving me a curt nod and rising from his seat. "We'll be in touch." He speaks before exiting my office. 

I don't fucking doubt it. 

I let out a breath, feeling like I can finally breathe after that. I wait a moment, making sure he's gone before I pick up my phone and dial Harry's number. It rings and rings until I get his voicemail. I groan, starting to panic. I leave him a message to call me as soon as possible. 

I stand up from my chair and begin passing back and forth around my office. 

There's no way they have anything on us, right? My father was safe. He knew the possibilities of someone catching onto the business. He made sure to maintain the legitimacy of this business as a whole. He kept people on pay roll that were actually there for the printing company, people who had no clue about the truth behind my father. Harry has made sure to keep that up since my father passed. 

There's no possible way that they are suspecting something else going on unless someone has been talking. That's the only logical explanation, but everyone here that is involved with the mafia here wouldn't dare to turn their back on us. 

I'm not the only one who turned on your father.  

Antonio's words play on a loop in my head. 

There's people close to him that really aren't on his side.

Could he have been telling the truth? People who are close to him. His closest men were Harry and Niall and I know for a fact they hadn't turned on my father, let alone me. They would never do that to us. Right? 

I was becoming paranoid now. I know them. Niall loves me, Harry is in love with me. I need to get these ideas out of my head because this is not going to do anything but stress me out more. 

I'll need to mention it to Harry though. Let him know we should maybe get the three of us together and look at who we could possibly think wasn't truly on my father's side. If we can find something, maybe that will help ease my mind. There's the possibility that no one here is truly against my father, that Antonio was trying to get in my head before his death, or it could be someone who wasn't directly connected to my father but someone like Antonio who only did business with my father, not specifically working for him. 

I just need to get in touch with Harry and figure this out. He will know exactly how to calm me down and figure this all out. He was the rock in our relationship and I was so grateful for that. Without him, I would be crumbling.