Chapter 4: Sarah’s Missing Letter
Luca stopped the recording.
“What letter?”
Damian buttoned his coat.
“A grieving woman wrote many things.
Most had no legal value.”
“You told Vanessa to find this one.”
“I’m not discussing a former client’s private affairs.”
“Sarah was my wife.”
“And Vanessa is supposed to become your wife.”
Luca placed the phone in his pocket.
“That wedding is not happening.”
Vanessa’s mouth fell open.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I watched you reach for my son’s phone after hearing your own voice.
I mean every word.”
“You’re ending our engagement because a frightened child misunderstood a conversation?”
“I understood it,” Matteo said.
Vanessa turned on him.
“This is why you need discipline.
You listen at doors, take papers and turn your father against me.”
I stepped between them.
“He didn’t turn Luca against you.
You did that yourself.”
“You really believe you matter here, Claire?”
“She matters to me,” Matteo said.
Vanessa went still.
Matteo’s hand shook, but he didn’t lower his eyes.
“She sat with me when you sent me downstairs.
She told me loving my mom wasn’t wrong.”
Vanessa gave a short laugh.
“Of course she did.
She wants my place.”
I felt every guest look at me.
“That isn’t true.”
“Isn’t it?
The loyal young maid rescuing the lonely father and his wounded son?”
“Enough,” Luca said.
“No, let her answer.
Ask Claire why she keeps a photograph of this family in her locker.”
My throat closed.
Matteo looked at me.
“You have our picture?”
“It’s the photograph from your school concert.
You gave copies to the staff.”
“I wrote on yours,” he said.
“Thank you for coming.”
Vanessa’s smile sharpened.
“How touching.”
Luca stepped closer to her.
“You searched Claire’s locker?”
“I manage this house.”
“You don’t own this house, and you never managed Claire.”
Damian lifted the leather folder.
“Vanessa, we should leave.”
“No one leaves with that folder,” Luca said.
Damian held it against his chest.
“It contains privileged documents.”
“It contains a paper bearing a signature you altered.”
“That accusation will cost you.”
Evelyn struck her cane against the marble.
“Open the study safe, Luca.”
He looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Sarah gave me a letter six weeks before she passed.
I put it inside the blue account book.”
Luca’s face changed.
“You knew about it?”
“She made me promise not to tell you unless Damian came near Matteo’s trust.”
“And you kept that from me for five years?”
“I thought he was gone.”
Luca’s voice dropped.
“You watched me hire him again for the investment review.”
“I tried to warn you.”
“You told me you disliked his manners.”
“I was afraid you would ask why Sarah distrusted him.”
Matteo moved closer to his father.
“Why did Mom distrust him?”
Evelyn’s eyes filled.
“Because Damian tried to persuade her that Luca loved the business more than his family.”
Luca flinched as if the words had landed against his chest.
“She believed him?”
“For a while.”
“You let me mourn her believing we had no secrets.”
“I was trying to protect the way you remembered her.”
“You protected a lie.”
Evelyn gripped her cane with both hands.
“Yes.
And I was wrong.”
Luca turned toward the study.
“Claire, stay with Matteo.”
“I’m coming with you,” Matteo said.
“No,” Vanessa said quickly.
“He shouldn’t see what Sarah wrote.”
Luca faced her.
“How do you know what’s in it?”
Vanessa looked at Damian.
That one glance answered too much.
We hurried into the east wing.
Luca entered the code, then pulled open the safe.
The blue account book was there.
The letter was not.
In its place lay a cream envelope addressed to Luca in Vanessa’s handwriting.
May you like
He opened it and read the single sentence inside.
IF YOU WANT SARAH’S LETTER BACK, SIGN THE TRUST AMENDMENT BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
