Chapter 4 - THE INHERITANCE VANESSA WANTED TO STEAL|
By sunrise, I understood why Vanessa had been so determined to control Olivia's medical decisions.
And the answer had nothing to do with family loyalty.
It had everything to do with money.
Nora asked to speak with Luca, Olivia, and me in a private hospital conference room.
She had spent most of the night examining the questionable authorizations and contacting the independent trustee responsible for Matthew Reid's estate.
Matthew had been a successful software entrepreneur before his death.
He wasn't part of Luca's criminal world.
He was a gentle man who loved gardening, old jazz records, and Olivia's terrible attempts at baking.
I remembered how he used to bring flowers into the kitchen and ask me which arrangement would make Olivia smile.
When he died in that car accident, Olivia stopped smiling for weeks.
The only thing that brought her any comfort was the baby growing inside her.
Now I learned that Matthew had left his daughter something else.
A carefully protected inheritance worth approximately four million eight hundred thousand dollars.
Nora placed a copy of the trust documents on the table.
“Matthew created this trust before his death, after learning Olivia was pregnant.”
Olivia looked confused.
“I knew he was putting money aside for our daughter.”
Nora nodded.
“He wanted to make sure she would have financial security even if something happened to him.”
Luca leaned forward.
“What does that have to do with Vanessa?”
Nora turned another page.
“The money is managed by an independent trustee, not by whoever happens to care for the child.”
She paused.
“But the documents submitted in Vanessa's name included a request to replace that trustee, supported by claims that Olivia was unable to manage her own affairs.”
My throat tightened.
“So Vanessa wanted to become the baby's guardian and take control of the trust?”
“She appears to have been working toward both outcomes,” Nora answered.
“Neither would happen automatically, and a court would have to examine the evidence.”
Olivia stared at the papers.
“Matthew left that money for our daughter.”
Her voice cracked.
“He worked so hard because he wanted her to have a beautiful life.”
Luca's face turned dark with anger.
“And my wife saw a bank account.”
Nora didn't disagree.
Instead, she slid another document toward him.
“There's a second person involved.”
The name printed at the bottom was Grant Mercer.
I recognized it immediately.
Grant was an attorney who had attended several family parties after Luca married Vanessa.
He always wore expensive watches and spoke about investments he claimed could double anyone's fortune.
Vanessa frequently described him as a family friend.
I remembered seeing them whispering together near Luca's office during Olivia's last visit.
At the time, I thought they were discussing charity donations.
Now the memory made my skin crawl.
“Grant Mercer prepared the guardianship paperwork?” Luca asked.
“It appears his office generated several of the documents,” Nora replied.
“I'm also reviewing whether he had any legitimate authority to contact the trustee.”
Olivia looked at her brother.
“I don't understand why Vanessa hates me.”
He reached across the table.
“This isn't because of anything you've done.”
But Olivia lowered her eyes.
“She told me I was lucky you let me stay in the house.”
I felt tears gathering again.
“She said a widow who couldn't take care of herself had no business raising a child.”
Luca stopped breathing for a moment.
Then he asked a question that changed the room.
“How long has she been saying these things?”
Olivia hesitated.
“Since shortly after the wedding.”
Luca looked at me.
I wished I could pretend I hadn't heard similar remarks.
But I had.
I'd watched Vanessa complain whenever Olivia needed transportation to an appointment.
I'd watched her forbid the kitchen staff from preparing special meals.
I'd even watched her dismiss Olivia's dizziness as an attempt to attract attention.
And I had stayed quiet far too often because I was afraid of losing my job.
“Too long,” I answered.
Luca looked devastated.
“I should have seen it.”
Nora closed the folder.
“Regret won't protect Olivia now.”
She explained that they needed to preserve evidence, challenge any pending legal filings, and ensure Olivia's medical and financial decisions remained in her own hands.
Then Luca received a message from the mansion's security supervisor.
His private office had been entered before dawn.
The person had used a valid employee access code.
Several files had been removed from a locked cabinet.
Luca showed the message to Nora.
“Daniel.”
“Possibly,” she answered.
“But don't confront him without preserving the evidence.”
I suddenly remembered the envelope Vanessa had carried from Luca's desk that morning.
It had been thick, cream-colored, and marked with the hospital's blue emblem.
I'd also noticed something else.
When Vanessa stepped into the hallway, Daniel had been waiting beside the staircase.
She'd passed him the envelope.
He'd slipped it inside his briefcase.
“Mr. Moretti,” I said quietly.
“I think I know where some of the missing documents went.”
Luca turned toward me.
I explained everything.
When I finished, Nora asked whether I would be willing to provide a formal statement.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
Whatever this meant for my job, I would not abandon Olivia now.
But before Nora could continue, her phone rang.
She listened carefully, and the color slowly drained from her face.
“What is it?” Luca demanded.
Nora ended the call.
“Grant Mercer filed an emergency petition yesterday.”
Olivia stared at her.
“A petition for what?”
Nora looked directly at the frightened young woman sitting across from her.
“He's asking a court to appoint Vanessa as your temporary guardian.”
The room fell silent.
Then Nora added the detail that made my heart nearly stop.
“He claims you are mentally incapable of making decisions for yourself.”
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And attached to his petition were medical records from San Marco General Hospital.
The same medical records somebody had secretly altered.
