Chapter 3 - THE AGREEMENT WRITTEN BEFORE THE ENGAGEMENT
Vanessa began removing her engagement ring before Luca finished asking the question.
Her fingers trembled.
The diamond caught the chandelier light, casting a small reflection against the white tablecloth.
“Caroline didn't know about our wedding,” she whispered.
Luca stared at her.
“Then why did she mention a wedding trust agreement?”
Vanessa looked toward Dominic.
That one glance told me more than her words.
Dominic reached for his water glass.
“Luca, your wife was referring to a proposed family arrangement. She misunderstood its purpose.”
“A family arrangement?”
“An estate consolidation. Your father had discussed it years earlier.”
Luca's expression remained unreadable.
“And Vanessa was involved?”
Dominic hesitated.
“She worked for Anthony's company.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I was twenty-nine, Luca. I handled administrative work. I didn't understand half the documents crossing my desk.”
Her voice sounded genuinely frightened.
But Nathan was watching her.
The little boy had stopped crying.
Sometimes children become terribly quiet when the adults around them are telling too many different stories.
I moved closer to him.
“Would you like some water?”
He shook his head.
“Is Mommy in trouble?”
I swallowed.
“No, sweetheart. Mommy isn't in trouble.”
“Then why does everybody sound mad at her?”
Luca heard him.
He immediately looked toward Daniel.
“Take Nathan to the family sitting room. Have the doctor meet him there.”
Nathan grabbed my sleeve.
“Can Miss Emily come?”
Before Luca could answer, Vanessa lifted her head.
“She shouldn't be involved in family matters.”
Luca turned.
“She's the person who found my son locked in a storage room.”
Then he looked at me.
“Emily, would you stay with him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you.”
It was the first time Luca had ever asked me to do something as though my answer mattered.
Nathan took my uninjured hand.
But as we approached the doorway, he stopped.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Don't throw Mommy's voice away again.”
Luca's face tightened.
“I won't, buddy. I promise.”
We walked out together.
Behind us, I heard Dominic say, “You need to understand what your father was trying to build.”
And Luca answer, “I need to understand what happened to my wife.”
The family sitting room overlooked the garden.
Nathan sat on the sofa while Dr. Samuel Foster examined his swollen hand.
Fortunately, nothing appeared broken, though the doctor insisted on an X-ray because of the swelling and tenderness.
He wrapped Nathan's hand gently.
“No more fighting locked doors, young man.”
Nathan gave a small, embarrassed smile.
“I was looking for Mommy's recorder.”
Dr. Foster's expression softened.
“Then I think you've earned a rest.”
When he left to arrange imaging, Nathan leaned against me.
“Miss Emily?”
“Yes?”
“Is Vanessa going to make you leave?”
My throat tightened.
“I don't know.”
“Daddy likes her.”
I looked toward the closed door.
“Yes. I know.”
Nathan touched the bandage on my finger.
“She hurt you.”
I couldn't deny it.
“She made a bad choice.”
Nathan frowned.
“A lot of bad choices.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
“Yes, sweetheart. A lot.”
He slipped off the sofa and walked to the bookcase.
From behind a row of children's puzzles, he pulled out a small blue notebook.
“I drew something.”
On the first page was a picture of a house.
Four stick figures stood outside.
One wore a red dress.
One had dark hair.
One was very small.
And one was missing a face.
“Who's this?” I asked.
Nathan pointed.
“That's Mommy before she got sick. That's Daddy. That's me.”
“And the other person?”
He lowered his eyes.
“The lady who came with Uncle Dominic.”
My stomach tightened.
“Vanessa?”
Nathan shook his head.
“No. A different lady.”
He turned the page.
There was a drawing of a blue car.
A woman stood beside it, holding a rectangular object.
“What is she carrying?”
“A book.”
“Do you remember when you saw her?”
Nathan nodded.
“Mommy was in bed. I was five.”
Three years earlier.
“Did you hear her name?”
He thought carefully.
“Mommy called her Miss Margaret.”
I stared at the drawing.
Margaret Ellis.
The retired accountant.
The woman Caroline had trusted with the blue ledger.
“Did you ever see her again?”
Nathan shook his head.
“Uncle Dominic said she moved away.”
He paused.
“Daddy said she went on vacation.”
My heart sank.
Somebody had been telling Nathan different stories about the same woman for three years.
And he remembered every one.
Twenty minutes later, Luca entered the sitting room.
His jacket was gone.
His sleeves were rolled up.
He looked older than he had at dinner.
“Hey, buddy.”
Nathan ran to him.
Luca lifted him carefully, avoiding his injured hand.
“Dr. Foster says we need a picture of those bones.”
“An X-ray?”
“That's right.”
“Will it hurt?”
“No.”
Nathan studied his face.
“Are you still marrying Vanessa?”
Luca closed his eyes briefly.
“No, buddy.”
Nathan rested his head against his father's shoulder.
“Okay.”
Only one word.
But I saw how deeply Luca felt it.
He sat beside his son.
“I'm sorry I didn't listen when you told me you were unhappy.”
Nathan looked down.
“You were busy.”
“I was. But that isn't an excuse.”
The little boy leaned closer.
“Can Mommy's pictures come back?”
“Yes.”
“And the piano bench?”
“Yes.”
“And her recorder?”
Luca swallowed.
“I'll do everything I can to repair it.”
Nathan nodded.
Then he handed his father the blue notebook.
“Miss Emily says my drawing might help.”
I hadn't said exactly that.
But Luca turned the pages.
He stopped at the blue car.
“Who is this?”
“Miss Margaret.”
Luca stared at the drawing.
Then at me.
“Emily?”
“Nathan remembered seeing her with Caroline.”
Luca looked back at his son.
“Buddy, this is important. Did you actually see Margaret carrying that book?”
Nathan nodded.
“Mommy told her to hide it.”
Luca grew very still.
“Where?”
Nathan pointed toward the garden outside.
“By the music tree.”
I frowned.
“The music tree?”
Nathan looked almost surprised that I didn't know.
“The old maple. Mommy tied bells on it.”
Luca stared through the window.
The maple stood beside the greenhouse.
Three years earlier, Caroline had decorated its branches with little silver bells that chimed in the wind.
After her death, Luca had ordered the bells left untouched.
I had cleaned beneath that tree dozens of times.
But I'd never noticed anything unusual.
Luca stood.
“Daniel!”
His security chief appeared.
“Find the old groundskeeper's records. I want to know whether anything was removed from the maple tree or greenhouse after Caroline died.”
Daniel nodded.
“And Margaret Ellis?”
“Find her through legitimate records. No threats. No shortcuts.”
He looked at Nathan.
“And nobody questions my son without me present.”
Daniel left.
Luca turned toward me.
“Emily, thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
I hesitated.
“Mr. Moretti, may I ask something?”
“Yes.”
“Why did Vanessa choose tonight to destroy the recordings?”
He looked toward the garden.
“Because tomorrow morning I was supposed to sign the new family trust.”
My breath caught.
“The wedding agreement?”
Luca nodded.
“It was presented as an ordinary estate-planning update.”
“And Dominic arranged it?”
“Yes.”
A terrible understanding passed between us.
Vanessa hadn't simply been clearing away Caroline's belongings.
She had been removing evidence before Luca signed.
At that moment, Daniel returned carrying an old maintenance binder.
“Boss, you need to see this.”
He opened it to a page dated three days after Caroline's hospitalization.
A photograph showed the maple tree.
Its silver bells had been removed.
At the bottom was a handwritten maintenance order.
Remove buried metal container beneath east root. Transfer contents to D. Moretti.
Luca stared.
“Dominic ordered the ground disturbed?”
Daniel nodded.
“But that's not the strange part.”
He turned the page.
Attached was a delivery receipt.
The signature belonged to Margaret Ellis.
Dated two years after Caroline's death.
I looked at Luca.
“Margaret was still here?”
Daniel's face was grim.
“Not only here.”
May you like
He pointed to the address beneath her signature.
The return address was a private care facility owned by Anthony Bellini.
