Chapter 220: Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Malachi’s POV

"That’s impossible," I said immediately. "Travis is sober. He’s getting married. He’s changed."

"I’m showing you what I saw," Catherine said, swiping to another photo. This one showed Travis and Robert sitting at an outdoor café, leaning close in conversation. The timestamp was from two days ago. "They met three times that I know of. The first meeting was five days ago in Dark City. The second was in New York. This third one was here in Rome."

"There has to be an explanation," Alicia said, but her voice was uncertain. "Travis wouldn’t do this. He’s been trying so hard to be better."

"People relapse," Catherine said gently. "Not just with substances. With behaviors. With old patterns."

I pulled out my phone and called Travis. It rang six times before going to voicemail.

"Call me back immediately," I said. "It’s urgent."

I tried Emily next. She answered on the second ring.

"Malachi? What’s wrong?"

"Is Travis with you?"

"No, he’s traveling. Said he had to handle some business in Europe. He left three days ago."

"What kind of business?"

"He didn’t say. Just that it was personal and he’d be back in time for the wedding." She paused. "Why? What’s happening?"

"I need you to be honest with me. Has Travis been acting strange? Secretive? Has he mentioned Robert Chen Fonelle?"

"Robert Chen who? I don’t know that name."

"Alicia’s father."

Silence. Then, "No. He’s never mentioned him. Malachi, what’s going on?"

"I’m not sure yet. But I need to talk to Travis. If he contacts you, tell him to call me immediately."

"You’re scaring me."

"I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything when I know more. Just have him call me."

I hung up and looked at Catherine. "Show me everything you have."

She pulled out a tablet, opened a series of photos and documents. Meetings between Travis and Robert. Financial records showing Travis had wired fifty thousand dollars to an offshore account that Robert had access to. Text messages discussing "the plan" and "timing" and "making sure Malachi doesn’t suspect."

It was damning. All of it.

But it still didn’t make sense.

"Why would Travis do this?" Alicia asked. "What does he gain from helping my father?"

"Revenge," Catherine suggested. "You left him for his brother. You’re happy while he’s still struggling. Maybe he wants you to suffer the way he suffered."

"But he’s with Emily now. He’s moved on. He asked Malachi to be his best man."

"Or he’s been planning this for months. The wedding. The reconciliation. All of it designed to get close to you again. To make you trust him enough to lower your guard."

I thought about Travis. About our conversations over the past months. About how he’d seemed genuinely changed, genuinely committed to being better.

Had it all been an act?

"There’s one way to find out," I said. "We go to the motel. We confront Robert. We get the truth."

"That’s dangerous," Catherine said. "If Robert’s desperate, if he’s cornered, he could be violent."

"I’m counting on it."

"Malachi—" Alicia started.

"He threatened our daughter. He called our home and made threats. I’m done waiting for him to make a move. We end this tonight."

"Then I’m coming with you."

"Absolutely not. You stay here with Lia where it’s safe."

"He’s my father. This is my problem to solve."

"He stopped being your father the day he tried to sell Sophie. And this became my problem the moment he threatened my child." I turned to Catherine. "Can you stay here? Protect them while I’m gone?"

"That’s not what I signed up for."

"I’ll double whatever salary we discussed for the foundation position. Just keep them safe for a few hours."

She looked at Alicia, then at me, then nodded slowly. "Okay. But I’m calling local police for backup. If something goes wrong—"

"Nothing will go wrong."

I kissed Alicia, quick and hard. "Lock the doors behind me. Don’t open them for anyone except Marco or Alessandro. Not even Travis if he shows up."

"Be careful. Please."

"Always."

I took Marco and Alessandro with me. Both of them armed. Both of them understanding exactly what we were walking into.

"If Travis is there," Alessandro said during the drive, "what are you going to do?"

"Talk first. Violence second. But I will get answers."

The motel was exactly what I’d expected. Cheap. Rundown. The kind of place people stayed when they were hiding.

Robert’s room was on the second floor. I sent Marco around back to cover the exit while Alessandro and I approached the door.

I knocked. Hard.

"Robert. Open the door. We need to talk."

Movement inside. Shuffling. The sound of something being knocked over.

"I know you’re in there. We can do this easy or we can do this hard. Your choice."

The door opened a crack. Robert’s face appeared, older than I remembered, harder.

"What do you want?"

"You called my wife. Threatened my daughter. We’re going to discuss why that was a mistake."

"I don’t have to discuss anything with you."

"You really do. Because right now I’m being civilized. Give me a reason to stop being civilized and see what happens."

He looked past me, saw Alessandro, calculated his odds. Then stepped back and opened the door wider.

The room was a disaster. Clothes everywhere. Empty bottles. The smell of desperation and fear.

And sitting on the bed, looking guilty as hell, was Travis.

Everything in me went cold. Stone cold.

"Hello, brother," Travis said quietly.

"What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I’m doing?"

"It looks like you’re conspiring with the man who threatened my daughter. But that can’t be right. Because you’re supposed to be getting married. Supposed to be sober and changed and better."

"I am sober. I am changed. And I am better. Which is why I’m here."

"Explain. Now."

Travis stood up, his hands visible, his posture non-threatening. "Robert contacted me three weeks ago.