Chapter 6
The wedding planner brought me another piece of the truth without realizing it.
She approached after the estate went quiet.
“Mr. Rizzano, should we cancel the revised seating chart?”
I frowned.
“What revised seating chart?”
Her face changed.
Bianca had approved one three days earlier.
I asked to see it.
My daughter was no longer seated beside me.
She had been moved to a children’s table across the ballroom.
Rosalie was moved too.
Bianca’s family surrounded the head table instead.
I looked at the planner.
“Who authorized this?”
“Ms. Moretti.”
“Did she say I approved?”
The woman hesitated.
“Yes.”
Of course.
Another borrowed instruction.
I asked for every revision Bianca had made.
There were fourteen.
Livia removed from morning photographs.
Livia excluded from the private bridal breakfast.
Rosalie reassigned during the ceremony.
Sofia’s memorial pendant removed from Livia’s flower-girl outfit.
My expression hardened.
“What memorial pendant?”
The planner opened a small box.
Inside was a tiny silver locket.
Sofia’s photograph.
I had given it to Livia for the ceremony.
Bianca had removed that too.
I stared at it.
One alteration might be preference.
Fourteen was strategy.
Bianca was not joining my family.
She was editing it.
I returned to her.
She looked exhausted now.
Not remorseful.
Cornered.
“You were moving Livia away from me at the wedding.”
She scoffed.
“It was one table.”
“You removed her from photographs.”
“Couples need photographs alone.”
“You took her mother’s pendant.”
“That was inappropriate.”
“For who?”
Silence.
“You.”
Her jaw tightened.
I saw it clearly now.
The haircut was supposed to be final preparation.
Change the clothes.
Change the seat.
Remove the mother.
Change the hair.
Then take the wedding pictures.
May you like
Bianca wanted evidence that a new family began with her.
And she wanted the old one visually erased.
