Chapter 5 - The Hidden Truth
The silence in the grand foyer was suffocating.
Luca stared at the gold signet ring in Vanessa’s hand. “My father would never sign over this house. It belonged to his grandfather.”
“He did when he needed my father’s protection,” Vanessa said smoothly. “The deed transfers to me if the marriage doesn't take place. You have 24 hours to publicly announce our reconciliation, Luca. Or I evict you, your mother, and that pathetic dog.”
She turned on her heel and walked away, her guards following closely.
Teresa gripped the banister, her knuckles white. “Luca... is it true?”
“I don’t know,” Luca said, his jaw clenched. “I need to check Dad’s old files.”
For the next three hours, Luca and I tore through the library. We pulled out every ledger, every locked box, every file folder Frank Moretti had left behind.
Nothing. There was no record of a deed transfer.
“It has to be here,” Luca muttered, slamming a drawer shut. “Dad kept a record of everything.”
I sat on the floor, surrounded by dusty papers. Duke was asleep beside me, his head resting on my knee.
“Mr. Moretti,” I said softly. “When I was cleaning the storage room last month, I found an old winter coat. A heavy black wool one. Mrs. Moretti said it was your father’s favorite.”
Luca looked up. “The one he wore the night he died?”
“Yes. I was going to dry-clean it, but I felt something stiff inside the lining. I didn't want to ruin it, so I left it in the cedar closet.”
Luca was out the door before I could finish the sentence.
I followed him up to the third-floor storage rooms. He flung open the cedar closet.
The heavy black wool coat hung in the back, wrapped in plastic.
Luca ripped the plastic off. He ran his hands over the thick material, feeling the pockets, the lapels.
Then, he stopped at the bottom hem.
“Here,” he breathed.
He pulled a pocketknife from his suit trousers and carefully slit the stitching.
A thick, folded yellow envelope slid out and fell to the floor.
Luca picked it up. He opened it and pulled out a stack of original documents.
He read the first page, and a slow, dark smile spread across his face.
“She lied,” he whispered.
“What is it?” I asked, stepping closer.
“It’s a forged contract,” Luca said. “Vanessa’s father tried to blackmail Dad for the house. Dad kept the original, flawed document as proof of the extortion. Marcus Bellini never held the deed.”
He looked at me, his eyes blazing with a fierce, protective light.
“Hannah, go get Leo. Bring him here.”
“The CPS agent is coming at three—”
“Let her come,” Luca said, his voice hard. “She’s about to meet the real head of this family.”
I drove to the daycare in a daze. When I walked into the colorful classroom, Leo ran into my arms, holding a finger-painting of a blue dog.
“Mommy!” he cheered. “Look! I painted a puppy!”
I hugged him tight, burying my face in his soft hair. “It’s beautiful, baby. We’re going to go meet a real dog now.”
When I brought Leo back to the mansion, Teresa was waiting in the parlor.
Her face lit up the moment she saw him. “Oh, look at you,” she whispered, holding out a plate of fresh cookies.
Leo’s eyes went wide. He grabbed a cookie and immediately spotted Duke sleeping by the fire.
“Puppy!” Leo whispered loudly.
“Gentle, sweetheart,” I warned. “He’s very old and his hips hurt.”
Leo walked over on his tiptoes. He sat cross-legged on the rug and gently patted Duke’s head. Duke opened one cloudy eye, let out a soft huff, and rested his chin on Leo’s knee.
Teresa pressed a hand to her mouth, crying silently.
At exactly three o'clock, the doorbell rang.
It wasn't just the CPS agent.
It was Agent Davis, accompanied by Vanessa and two police officers.
“I told you she was unstable,” Vanessa told the officers as they stepped into the foyer. “She stole my father’s medical records and is holding a child in a known mafia headquarters.”
Luca stepped out of the library.
He didn't yell. He didn't threaten.
He simply handed a folder to the police officers.
“This,” Luca said calmly, “is a copy of an extortion attempt made by Marcus Bellini against my father. Included are the forged property deeds and records of Vanessa Bellini falsifying a CPS report to harass my employee.”
Vanessa’s face went chalk-white.
The lead officer looked over the documents. “Ms. Bellini, did you make an anonymous call regarding this child?”
“I... I was concerned for his safety!” she stammered.
Luca stepped forward, his presence filling the massive hall.
“You are trespassing,” Luca told her. “Your father’s debt is null and void. The engagement is officially terminated. If you ever come near my mother, my employee, her son, or my dog again, I will hand the original documents to the federal prosecutor.”
Vanessa looked at the officers for help. They stepped back, clearly not wanting to get involved in a mob war backed by federal evidence.
“You’ll regret this, Luca,” Vanessa hissed.
“Get out,” he said.
She turned and fled.
Agent Davis, looking deeply uncomfortable, peered into the parlor.
She saw a five-year-old boy laughing as an old golden retriever licked cookie crumbs off his fingers, while a grandmotherly woman smiled warmly beside them.
May you like
The agent closed her clipboard.
“My apologies for the intrusion, Mr. Moretti,” she said quietly. “The case is closed.”
