Chapter 3: The Man Behind the Invoice
A woman in a navy catering uniform stood in the doorway.
Behind her was a tall man holding a leather briefcase.
Marco pointed at him.
“That’s Daniel Voss.”
Vanessa gripped the back of her chair.
“What are you doing here?”
The woman stepped forward.
“My name is Rosa Alvarez.
My company prepared tonight’s dinner, and Mr.
Voss just tried to pay me to say we canceled.”
Daniel gave her a thin smile.
“You misunderstood our discussion.”
“You put five thousand dollars on the hood of my van.”
Rosa placed a thick envelope on the table.
Luca did not touch it.
“Daniel,” he said, “are you Vanessa’s cousin?”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“That depends on what she’s told you.”
“Answer him,” Marco said.
Vanessa struck the table with her palm.
“This is my engagement dinner.
You will not question my guests like suspects.”
Luca held up her phone.
“Then tell me why Daniel asked about the second invoice.”
“He handles private events.”
Marco opened the folder again.
“No, he handles Bellini Event Holdings.”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
Luca turned toward him.
“I have never heard of that company.”
“You approved it,” Daniel said.
“Your signature is on the vendor form.”
“My signature is on many forms.
That doesn’t explain why no food was delivered.”
Daniel set his briefcase down.
“The payment covered preparation, staffing and cancellation costs.”
Rosa laughed once.
“My kitchen prepared every plate in this room.
Your company didn’t boil water.”
Vanessa pointed toward the door.
“Rosa, leave before you lose every Moretti account.”
Rosa looked at Luca.
“Is she authorized to threaten my business?”
“No.”
One word, quietly spoken.
Vanessa’s hand slipped from the chair.
Daniel opened his briefcase and removed a document.
“Perhaps this will help.”
He slid it to Luca.
It was an authorization bearing Luca’s name and signature.
Marco leaned closer.
“That looks real.”
“It is real,” Daniel said.
Luca read the page twice.
“Vanessa, when did I sign this?”
“At breakfast last Tuesday.”
“You said it was a florist deposit.”
“It included several event expenses.”
“Did it include paying a company you claimed belonged to your cousin?”
Vanessa lifted her chin.
“You don’t read what you sign.
That is not my fault.”
The room went quiet again.
Luca placed the paper beside the false invoice.
“Marco, what were you going to tell me about Daniel?”
Marco looked at Vanessa.
She spoke before he could.
“Think carefully.
Your daughter starts university next month.”
Marco’s chair scraped against the floor.
“Leave my daughter out of this.”
“I’m reminding you that unemployment has consequences.”
Luca stepped between them.
“You will never mention his family as leverage again.”
Vanessa’s mouth tightened.
“And what about my family?
You promised to trust me.”
“I promised to marry you.
I did not promise to ignore this.”
Daniel closed his briefcase.
“This has become personal.
Vanessa, we should go.”
“Nobody leaves,” Luca said.
Daniel reached for the handle anyway.
Rosa blocked the doorway with her catering cart.
“You heard him.”
Daniel stared at her, then stepped back.
Marco drew a breath.
“Daniel isn’t Vanessa’s cousin.
He was her fiancé.”
Vanessa laughed too quickly.
“That was years ago.”
Marco looked at Luca.
“According to the hotel registry I found this morning, they shared a suite in New York six weeks ago.”
Luca did not look at Vanessa.
He looked at the engagement ring on her hand.
Then Vanessa turned to me.
“Tell him where you were that same week, Emma.”
My mouth went dry.
She smiled.
May you like
“Go on.
Tell Luca why your name appears on Daniel’s expense account.”
