Chapter 6: The Morning Vanessa Did Not See Coming
I fell asleep in the armchair beside Teresa's bed just after two in the morning.
When I woke, grey light was coming through the curtains and Sophie was standing in the doorway in her pajamas, her rabbit hanging from one hand.
"Is Grandma okay?" she asked.
"She's still sleeping," I whispered.
"She's fine."
Sophie padded across the room and climbed onto the foot of Teresa's bed with the careful practiced movements of a child who had done this many times before.
She curled up, tucked the rabbit under her chin, and closed her eyes.
I watched them both for a moment — the old woman and the little girl — and felt something loosen in my chest that I had not realized was held tight.
By seven, the house was already different.
Two men I had not seen before were stationed near the front entrance.
Luca was in the study with the door closed.
I could hear a measured voice through the gap — not raised, but constant, the sound of a man working through something methodically from the outside in.
Rosa arrived at half past seven and stopped in the kitchen doorway when she saw me.
"You're still here," she said.
"Mr.
Moretti asked me to stay."
She studied my face for a moment, then nodded and began making coffee without another word.
That was Rosa.
She had worked in this house for eleven years and had learned that most things eventually explained themselves.
Vanessa came downstairs at eight.
She was dressed.
Hair done.
The performance was intact.
She walked into the kitchen, registered Rosa and me, and moved toward the coffee pot.
"Where is Luca?"
"In the study," Rosa said.
She did not look up.
Vanessa poured her coffee, turned, and leaned against the counter.
"Hannah." Her voice was pleasant.
"I want to apologize for last night.
I was under a great deal of pressure and I said something unkind.
That wasn't fair to you."
I kept my hands around my mug.
"You've clearly built a genuine connection with Teresa," she continued.
"I may have felt threatened by that.
It's something I should reflect on."
Rosa turned to look at me from the stove.
I said nothing.
Vanessa's eyes moved over my face.
"I hope we can move past it," she said.
"Ms.
Bellini." Luca's voice from the kitchen doorway.
She turned.
"My attorney is in the study.
I'd like you to join us."
"Of course." She set down her cup.
"Should I call my own counsel?"
"That's your choice."
She smoothed her jacket and walked past him into the hall.
Luca caught the kitchen door before it closed and looked at me.
"Marco gave me everything.
Call logs, message records, a screenshot of the address on the North Shore." A pause.
"The house belongs to Callum Reid.
He and Vanessa have known each other for four years."
"She was working with him?"
"She was managing him.
There's a difference." He glanced toward the hall.
"Reid had leverage over a contract I secured two years ago.
Vanessa was feeding him information to use against me.
Sophie was not the destination.
Sophie was the insurance."
The word settled over me like cold water.
"She was going to use Sophie to stop you from moving against Reid," I said.
"That's what Marco believes.
That's what the message records suggest."
"Does she know how much you know?"
"Not yet."
He held the door for one more second.
"Stay close to Sophie today," he said.
"And to my mother."
"I will."
He let the door close.
Rosa turned from the stove.
"Eleven years," she said quietly.
"I have never once seen him ask someone to stay close to that child."
May you like
She set a plate of toast on the table and said nothing else.
But her meaning was clear enough.
