Chapter 3 - THE ECHO OF A DEBT
The heavy silence in the ruined study was suffocating.
Luca looked from the gold watch in his hand to Vanessa, then to Roberto Ferraro.
"Explain," Luca demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous register.
Roberto didn't look at Vanessa. He kept his eyes locked on Luca. "It is true. Arturo Bellini handed me a watch identical to this one in Milan three weeks ago. He claimed it was a show of good faith for our upcoming business merger. The merger he insisted required your marriage to his daughter."
Vanessa's father, Arturo, finally stepped into the room. He adjusted his tailored cuffs, attempting to project authority. "This is a theatrical stunt. My daughter's engagement is being sabotaged by a disgruntled investor and a meddling housekeeper. Luca, you cannot believe this nonsense."
But Luca wasn't looking at Arturo. He was looking at his daughter. Isabella was clinging to my apron, her eyes wide but determined.
"Bella," Luca said gently, crouching down again. "Did Mommy tell you anything else about the bird? About the drawer?"
Isabella shook her head. "Just the key. And to trust Emily."
Vanessa scoffed, taking a step toward us. "Trust the maid? Luca, she's been here less than a year. My family has known you for decades."
"Which makes your betrayal that much worse," Roberto interrupted. He reached inside his perfectly tailored suit jacket and pulled out a folded piece of heavy parchment. "Elena did not just contact me because she was afraid. She contacted me because she found this."
Roberto handed the parchment to Luca.
Luca unfolded it. His eyes scanned the page, but I saw his frustration. "This is in an old Neapolitan dialect. I can barely read half of it."
He turned to me. "Emily. Read it."
Vanessa lunged forward. "Don't let her touch that! She's probably working with him!"
Luca caught Vanessa's wrist without even looking at her. His grip was iron. "Do not speak to her like that again," he warned softly. He released Vanessa and handed me the paper.
My hands shook as I took it. The handwriting was elegant but hurried. I recognized the dialect immediately; it was exactly how my grandmother used to write her letters back home.
I took a deep breath and began to translate aloud.
“If anything happens to me, look to the Bellini debts. Arturo did not lose his fortune in the market crash. He lost it to the syndicate. He promised them control of the Moretti shipping lines to save his own life. My accident tomorrow will not be an accident. They need me gone so Vanessa can take my place.”
I stopped, my throat completely dry.
Luca stood still, processing the words. His wife had known she was going to die. She had known the day before.
Arturo let out a cold laugh. "A forgery. Anyone could have written that."
"It's Elena's handwriting," Luca said quietly.
"And she left one more thing to prove it," Roberto added. He looked at me. "Miss Carter, what is the final line of that letter?"
I looked down at the faded ink. My heart hammered against my ribs.
May you like
I looked up at Vanessa. She was wearing a stunning, vintage diamond necklace, sitting heavily against her collarbone. She had proudly told the dinner guests earlier that it was a Bellini family heirloom.
"The letter says..." I swallowed hard. "It says, 'The proof is in the clasp of the diamonds I was forced to sell him. The ones Vanessa wears around her neck.'"
