Chapter 4
Dominic’s silence was worse than a confession.
Luca walked toward him.
Not quickly.
That made it more frightening.
“You knew about the recordings.”
Dominic looked at Vanessa.
“Apparently she knows how to keep nothing private.”
Vanessa’s face twisted.
“You were supposed to handle the archive.”
“I told you not to put cameras in his house.”
“You told me to find the ledger.”
Matteo’s hand tightened around mine.
Luca stopped three feet from his uncle.
“What ledger?”
Dominic sighed.
“Not in front of the boy.”
“The boy owns the trust you were apparently stealing from.”
Dominic’s eyes moved to Matteo.
For the first time, shame flickered.
Then vanished.
“This is complicated.”
“Good,” Luca said. “I have time.”
Vanessa interrupted.
“You don’t. We have a wedding.”
Luca looked at her.
“No.”
One word.
Her face drained.
He turned back to Dominic.
“Start six years ago.”
Dominic loosened his tie.
“Your father was sick.”
“I know.”
“The company was bleeding cash.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t know how bad.”
“I ran the company.”
“You ran operations. Your father ran debt.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
Dominic continued.
“There were loans. Private ones. Construction exposure. A hotel deal in Atlantic City.”
“Bellini?”
Dominic looked at Vanessa.
“Yes.”
Luca’s eyes hardened.
“Her father.”
“Yes.”
“You knew him.”
“For twenty years.”
“And Sarah found transfers.”
Dominic sat without being invited.
“She found emergency transfers.”
“From Matteo’s trust.”
“Temporary.”
Matteo made a bitter sound.
Dominic looked at him.
“I intended to put it back.”
“When?” Matteo asked.
Dominic’s face tightened.
Luca’s voice went colder.
“Answer him.”
“When the hotel project stabilized.”
“It failed,” Luca said.
“Yes.”
“So you stole from my son to cover my father’s debt.”
“I protected the family company.”
“You forged my father’s signature.”
“Your father authorized me verbally.”
“He was sedated.”
“He had lucid periods.”
“Sarah didn’t believe you.”
“No.”
“What happened the night before she died?”
Dominic stood.
“Nothing.”
The lie was immediate.
Luca stepped closer.
“You were in her room.”
“No.”
“We heard your voice.”
“You heard a man.”
“You threatened her.”
Dominic’s eyes flashed.
“I argued with her.”
Matteo sucked in a breath.
There.
Another admission.
Luca stared.
“You were there.”
Dominic looked away.
“Yes.”
The room changed.
I felt Matteo’s hand go cold.
Luca’s voice barely carried.
“You told me you were in Miami that week.”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“Because Sarah died the next morning and I knew what it would look like.”
Luca’s nostrils flared.
“What did happen?”
“We argued.”
“About the ledger?”
“Yes.”
“You threatened her.”
“I told her exposing the transfers would destroy the company.”
“She said you threatened her.”
“I never touched her.”
Matteo’s voice cracked.
“Did you kill my mom?”
Vanessa whispered, “Matteo.”
He turned on her.
“Shut up.”
I had never heard him speak like that.
Neither had Luca.
Dominic looked at the boy.
“No.”
“Then why did she die?”
“Your mother had a heart condition.”
Luca stiffened.
“She died from an aneurysm.”
Dominic blinked.
“Yes. I know.”
“You just said heart.”
“I misspoke.”
Marco moved closer.
Luca’s face changed.
“Sarah did have a heart condition.”
Everyone looked at him.
He continued.
“But it wasn’t public.”
Dominic’s mouth tightened.
“You knew.”
“You were family.”
“No.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“I never told you.”
Dominic said nothing.
Rosa, still near my chair, whispered, “Mrs. Sarah kept her medication in the blue cabinet.”
Luca looked at her.
“Who knew?”
“Me. Dr. Bell. Mr. Luca. Mrs. Sarah.”
Dominic’s face lost color.
Luca stared at him.
“How did you know?”
“I saw medication.”
“In her private bathroom?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
Dominic looked at Vanessa.
That was enough.
Luca followed his gaze.
Vanessa went pale.
“You told him?”
“No.”
“Did your father?”
She hesitated.
Dominic stood abruptly.
“This is going nowhere.”
Marco blocked his path.
Dominic laughed.
“Are you serious?”
Luca didn’t look away from Vanessa.
“How did you know about Sarah’s heart?”
Vanessa’s voice was quiet.
“My father knew.”
“How?”
“He financed a clinic.”
“What clinic?”
She closed her eyes.
“St. Catherine’s.”
Luca stared.
Sarah’s cardiologist had practiced at St. Catherine’s.
I remembered because Matteo once mentioned visiting his mother there when he was six.
Luca looked like someone had struck him.
“My wife’s medical information went to your father?”
“No.”
“Then how did he know?”
“I don’t know.”
Dominic swore.
“Stop talking.”
Luca’s eyes moved to him.
“Why?”
Dominic looked furious.
“Because she’s giving you pieces without context.”
“Then give me context.”
Dominic said nothing.
Luca walked to the laptop.
“Play the next recording.”
The technician opened another file.
The date showed the morning Sarah died.
6:11 a.m.
Sarah entered frame.
She looked exhausted.
She carried the ledger.
She placed it inside a small wooden box.
Then took out her phone.
She recorded a voice memo.
“If Luca hears this, Dominic came last night.”
Matteo started crying silently.
Luca’s face became stone.
Sarah continued.
“He says Bellini knows about my medical records.”
Vanessa’s breath stopped.
Dominic whispered, “Jesus.”
Sarah looked toward the bedroom door.
“If anything happens, Luca needs to know I changed Matteo’s trust access yesterday. Dominic can’t move another dollar.”
She coughed.
Sat.
Pressed a hand to her chest.
Then whispered:
“I’m meeting the attorney at nine.”
The video jumped.
6:26 a.m.
The bedroom door opened.
Someone entered.
Only a hand and sleeve appeared.
The person placed a glass of water on the table.
Sarah looked up.
“You?”
The figure stayed outside the camera angle.
Sarah said, “What are you doing here?”
No answer.
She reached for the water.
The video ended.
The technician frowned.
“Why did it stop?” Luca asked.
“File corruption.”
“Recover it.”
“We’ll try.”
Luca looked at Dominic.
“Were you here at six twenty-six?”
“No.”
“Vanessa?”
“I didn’t know you.”
“Her father?”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“I don’t know.”
Luca leaned over the table.
“Who had access to this house?”
Rosa answered.
“Family. Senior staff. Mr. Dominic. Your father’s driver. Security.”
“Bellini?”
She hesitated.
“I saw Mr. Angelo Bellini here twice during Mr. Moretti Senior’s illness.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Luca stared at her.
“You told me your father never knew Sarah.”
“I didn’t know they met.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I was trying to keep this from becoming exactly what it has become.”
“What?”
“A conspiracy story.”
Matteo wiped his face.
“My mom is dead.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“I know.”
“No. You talk about her like she’s paperwork.”
Her mouth closed.
He stood.
“I don’t want you to marry my dad.”
The room became silent.
Vanessa stared.
Matteo’s voice shook, but he kept going.
“I didn’t say anything because you told me he’d hate me if I ruined the wedding.”
Luca turned sharply.
“What?”
Matteo looked at his father.
“She said you’d finally been happy again.”
Luca’s face fell.
“She said if I made problems, you’d know I wanted you alone.”
“Matteo—”
“I don’t.”
His voice broke.
“I don’t care if you marry someone. I just don’t want her.”
Luca crossed the room.
Matteo stepped into him before Luca could reach out.
Luca wrapped both arms around his son.
“I’m sorry.”
Matteo cried against his chest.
“I thought you’d choose her.”
“No.”
“You kept believing her.”
Luca closed his eyes.
“I did.”
“Why?”
That question had no easy answer.
Luca looked over Matteo’s head at Vanessa.
“Because I trusted the wrong person.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
Real tears this time.
“You love me.”
Luca stared at her.
Maybe he had.
Maybe part of him still did.
That made it uglier.
He released Matteo slowly.
Then he removed something from his vest pocket.
A small velvet ring box.
Vanessa froze.
He placed it on the library table.
Her breathing changed.
“No.”
Luca said nothing.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her.
“The wedding is cancelled.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“It’s cancelled.”
“You’re angry.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll regret this.”
“Maybe.”
“Luca.”
She stepped toward him.
Marco moved, but Luca raised a hand.
He did not need protection.
Vanessa stopped inches away.
“I spent three years building a life with you.”
“You spent at least part of those three years trying to erase the life I had before you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No.”
His eyes moved toward Matteo.
“What wasn’t fair was making my son believe his mother’s memory was an obstacle.”
Vanessa cried now.
“You think Claire hasn’t been feeding him things?”
My stomach dropped.
Luca’s gaze sharpened.
“What does Claire have to do with this?”
“She’s been turning him against me.”
Matteo pulled away from his father.
“No, she hasn’t.”
“Stay out of it.”
“He’s my son,” Luca said. “He doesn’t stay out of discussions about himself.”
Vanessa pointed at me.
“She wants you.”
I went cold.
Luca stared at her.
I wished the floor would open.
“That’s ridiculous,” I said.
Vanessa laughed through tears.
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“She watches you.”
“I work here.”
“She protects your son.”
“That’s my job.”
“It isn’t.”
Matteo spoke.
“It should be everybody’s job.”
No one answered.
Vanessa looked at him as though he had betrayed her.
Then she turned toward me.
“You think this ends well for you?”
Luca stepped between us.
“Enough.”
Her voice lowered.
“You have no idea what family you walked into, Claire.”
“I know enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
She smiled through tears.
“Ask Luca what happened to the last employee who got too close to Sarah’s investigation.”
Luca froze.
I looked at him.
“What does she mean?”
Vanessa watched his face.
Dominic swore again.
Luca turned toward him.
“Who?”
Dominic said nothing.
Luca’s voice became sharp.
“Who?”
Rosa answered from behind me.
“Daniel Reed.”
Everyone looked at her.
She seemed suddenly older.
“He was Mr. Moretti Senior’s accountant.”
Luca frowned.
“He quit.”
Rosa shook her head.
“No.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Rosa.”
She ignored him.
“He disappeared.”
The room went completely still.
“When?” Luca asked.
“Two weeks after Mrs. Sarah died.”
Dominic’s jaw clenched.
Luca stared at his uncle.
“Did you know?”
Dominic said nothing.
Luca’s face hardened.
“Did you know?”
“Yes.”
Matteo whispered, “Is he dead?”
Dominic looked away.
Rosa crossed herself.
“No body was ever found.”
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
Then, unbelievably, she smiled.
“Now maybe you understand why I wanted the wedding finished before you started opening old walls.”
Luca stared at her.
“What does the wedding have to do with Daniel Reed?”
She looked toward the black drive.
Then back at Luca.
“Because Daniel didn’t disappear over stolen money.”
Her voice dropped.
“He disappeared because he found out who really owned Bellini Development.”
Dominic went pale.
Luca stepped closer.
“Who?”
Vanessa opened her mouth.
A gunshot cracked outside the library.
Matteo screamed.
Luca shoved him behind the stone fireplace.
Marco drew his weapon.
A second shot shattered the window.
Glass exploded across the rug.
I dropped beside Matteo.
Luca covered us with his body.
Security shouted in the hallway.
Then silence.
Long.
Terrible.
Marco’s radio came alive.
“Shooter leaving west lawn!”
Another voice:
“Black SUV!”
Then:
“We have a man down.”
Luca looked at Marco.
“Who?”
Marco listened.
His face changed.
“Dominic’s driver.”
Dominic went white.
A guard rushed into the library holding a blood-spattered envelope.
“Sir, this was pinned under the driver’s hand.”
Luca took it.
On the front were three words.
STOP DIGGING, LUCA.
Inside was a photograph.
Sarah.
Daniel Reed.
And Angelo Bellini.
May you like
Standing together.
One week before Sarah died.
