Chapter 10 - The Woman Who Sold the Family Name
Vanessa Bellini had always understood the value of appearances.
A beautiful dress could conceal a bad night.
A polished smile could make a cruel sentence sound like advice.
And a diamond ring could convince strangers that she belonged beside one of Chicago's most powerful men.
But appearances were becoming difficult to maintain.
She sat in her attorney's office, staring at the documents spread across a polished desk.
Her lawyer, Patricia Hayes, looked grim.
“The investigators have questions about the consulting payments.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Then answer them.”
“I need truthful information to do that.”
“I've already told you the truth.”
Patricia studied her.
“Vanessa, several invoices were submitted for work that appears never to have been performed.”
“That's not my department.”
“Your signature is on the approvals.”
Vanessa looked away.
Her lawyer continued.
“And your messages with Ryan Mercer are likely to become evidence.”
Vanessa's face tightened.
“He's a liar.”
“Then you need to tell me exactly what happened.”
For the first time in years, Vanessa could not solve a problem by calling Alessandro.
He had not returned her messages.
He had instructed his legal team to handle their business interests separately.
And he had ended their engagement.
Vanessa still wore her diamond ring.
She told herself that meant something.
That afternoon, she drove to the Moretti mansion without an appointment.
Marco met her at the entrance.
“Miss Bellini.”
“I need to see Alessandro.”
“He's unavailable.”
“Move.”
Marco didn't.
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes.”
“Then open the door.”
“Mr. Moretti asked that all visits be scheduled through his office.”
Vanessa stared at him.
Then she noticed Elena crossing the foyer behind him.
The maid carried fresh flowers.
Her bruised eye was healing.
Vanessa felt a surge of rage.
“You.”
Elena stopped.
Marco turned slightly.
“Miss Bellini.”
Vanessa ignored him.
“Are you enjoying this?”
Elena looked confused.
“Enjoying what?”
“My life falling apart.”
Elena set the flowers down.
“I didn't ask for any of this.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Women like you always say that.”
Elena felt the old instinct to shrink.
But she remembered Ryan in the patrol car.
She remembered Sophie standing beside her.
And she remembered Alessandro stopping when she stepped away.
“No,” Elena said quietly.
“Women like me say it because sometimes it's true.”
Vanessa's face hardened.
“You think he loves you?”
Elena froze.
“I don't think anything about that.”
“Then you're even more foolish than I thought.”
A voice came from the corridor.
“Vanessa.”
Alessandro stood beside the staircase.
His expression was cold.
“Leave Elena alone.”
Vanessa turned toward him.
“You won't even speak to me?”
“Not like this.”
“I was going to marry you.”
“Yes.”
“I loved you.”
Alessandro looked at her.
“Then tell me why you worked with Ryan Mercer.”
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“He manipulated me.”
“How?”
“He told me the Harbor Ledger contained evidence against your family.”
“It may.”
“He said if we found it, we could protect you.”
Alessandro studied her.
“By transferring nearly half a million dollars to his company?”
Vanessa said nothing.
“And by telling him where Elena worked?”
Her silence stretched.
Elena stared at her.
Vanessa finally whispered, “He asked whether she was employed here.”
“And you answered.”
“I didn't know he would hurt her.”
Elena's throat tightened.
Alessandro's voice grew quieter.
“Did you know he had threatened her?”
Vanessa looked down.
“I knew they had problems.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Problems?”
Her voice shook.
“He followed my sister.”
Vanessa looked at her.
“He threatened to destroy her education.”
“I didn't—”
“He made me afraid to open my own front door.”
Vanessa's eyes flickered.
For one moment, shame appeared.
Then she looked at Alessandro again.
“I made a mistake.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“Can we fix this?”
Alessandro took a small velvet box from his jacket.
Inside lay the matching ring he had intended to give Vanessa at their wedding.
He placed it on the foyer table.
“No.”
Vanessa stared.
“You can't mean that.”
“I do.”
Her face crumpled.
“You're throwing away four years.”
Alessandro's voice remained steady.
“I won't spend the next forty pretending I can trust you.”
Vanessa began to cry.
For once, nobody rushed to comfort her.
Marco escorted her outside.
Elena stood motionless.
She should have felt victorious.
Instead, she felt exhausted.
Alessandro turned toward her.
“I'm sorry she spoke to you that way.”
Elena looked at the closed doors.
“She really believes I took something from her.”
Alessandro glanced at the ring box.
“She lost something long before you arrived.”
That evening, Detective Walsh called again.
Investigators had identified a second figure in the recovered footage.
A woman entered Vittorio Moretti's office shortly after Charles Mercer.
The image was grainy.
But a distinctive silver bracelet could be seen on her wrist.
Alessandro recognized it immediately.
His face drained.
Elena leaned forward.
“Who is she?”
Alessandro stared at the screen.
“My aunt.”
May you like
He swallowed.
“Isabella Moretti.”
