Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Lied About When She Met Luca|
Luca stared at the paused security footage.
Vanessa stood on the screen wearing a gray business suit.
Her hair was shorter.
Her face younger.
But there was no mistaking her.
She was standing inside the South Harbor warehouse on the night Giovanni Moretti died.
Three years before she claimed to have met Luca.
The dining room had become painfully quiet.
Vanessa looked toward the screen.
Then slowly closed her eyes.
Luca turned toward her.
“You told me we met at the Children's Hospital fundraiser.”
She swallowed.
“We did.”
“Then why were you at my uncle's warehouse five years ago?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“I worked for my father's company.”
Luca stared.
“You never mentioned that.”
“It wasn't relevant.”
His expression hardened.
“My uncle died that night.”
Vanessa began crying.
“Luca, I didn't know him personally.”
He pointed toward the screen.
“Then why are you standing beside him?”
She said nothing.
Marco continued reviewing the footage.
Giovanni appeared to be arguing with Richard.
The recording had no sound.
But their body language was unmistakable.
Giovanni pointed toward the briefcase.
Richard shook his head.
Vanessa stepped closer.
Then Adrian entered the frame.
Luca stopped breathing.
His oldest friend was there too.
On the very night he'd claimed he never returned to the warehouse after six.
Luca looked toward him.
“You lied about the time.”
Adrian lowered his head.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He swallowed.
“Because Richard told me to.”
The words seemed to make Vanessa smaller.
She sank into her chair.
Luca looked toward the screen again.
The next sequence showed Giovanni leaving the corridor toward the warehouse office.
Richard and Vanessa followed.
Adrian hesitated.
Then walked in the opposite direction.
The footage ended.
Luca stared.
“Where's the rest?”
Marco looked toward the examiner's report.
“Some files are missing or damaged. They're attempting recovery.”
Luca slowly sat down.
For five years, he'd believed Giovanni died in an accident.
He'd blamed himself for the delayed repairs.
He'd believed Adrian tried to help.
Now every piece of that story was changing.
I looked toward Allison.
She was staring at her husband.
“Adrian,” she whispered, “did you know Vanessa was there?”
He nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
“And you brought her into our lives anyway.”
His face crumpled.
“I didn't know they'd become involved.”
Allison shook her head.
“But you knew who she was.”
He couldn't answer.
She slowly stood.
For a moment, I thought she might collapse.
I moved closer.
“Mrs. Romano?”
She shook her head gently.
“I'm all right.”
Then she looked toward Luca.
“I think I should leave.”
His expression softened.
“Of course.”
She swallowed.
“But I want to help.”
Luca stared.
She continued.
“I don't want revenge.”
Her voice broke.
“I want the truth.”
He nodded.
“So do I.”
Then Allison turned toward me.
“Emily?”
“Yes, ma'am?”
“Would you walk with me?”
I glanced toward Luca.
He nodded.
“Go.”
I helped Allison gather her things.
Her wedding ring remained on the table.
She looked at it once.
Then left it there.
Outside, the Chicago night air was cold.
A black car waited beside the mansion steps.
Allison stopped beneath the entrance lights.
For several seconds, she stared toward the street.
Then she whispered, “I feel stupid.”
My chest tightened.
“Mrs. Romano…”
She shook her head.
“Seventeen years. I trusted him.”
I looked at her.
“You weren't wrong for trusting your husband.”
Tears filled her eyes.
She laughed bitterly.
“Maybe I was.”
I gently took her hand.
“Trusting someone isn't the same as agreeing to be deceived.”
For a moment, she stared at me.
Then began crying.
I held her hand until she could breathe normally.
Before getting into the car, she turned toward me.
“Emily, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you refuse to take my plate?”
I swallowed.
“Because you hadn't done anything wrong.”
Her face crumpled.
She nodded.
Then whispered, “Thank you.”
I watched the car disappear down the driveway.
When I returned inside, Luca was standing beside the fireplace.
He looked exhausted.
“Emily.”
I stopped.
“Yes, sir?”
He stared at me for a moment.
Then said something I didn't expect.
“You were the only person in that room who defended Allison before the truth came out.”
My throat tightened.
“I only told you what I'd seen.”
He nodded.
“That's more than my oldest friend did.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then his phone rang.
Marco.
Luca answered.
Listened.
His expression changed.
“What?”
A pause.
Then he looked toward the hallway.
“The file was recovered?”
Another pause.
His jaw tightened.
“Bring it.”
He ended the call.
I looked up.
“What happened?”
Luca stared toward the dining room.
May you like
Then whispered:
“They recovered the final minutes of the warehouse footage.”
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