Chapter 5 - The Little Girl Who Knew Too Much|
The following morning, sunlight poured through the mansion's enormous windows.
For the first time in years, the house felt strangely unfamiliar.
The wedding decorations were still everywhere.
White roses covered the staircase.
Champagne glasses sat abandoned beside the ballroom doors.
A large gold sign near the entrance read FOREVER BEGINS TODAY.
I wanted to throw it into the fireplace.
Instead, I carried a tray of pancakes upstairs.
Sophia was sitting on her bed with Rosie tucked beneath one arm.
Her eyes were swollen from crying.
But when she saw the pancakes, she managed a small smile.
"Did Daddy really say I can stay?"
I placed the tray beside her.
"Yes, sweetheart."
"Forever?"
I sat on the edge of the mattress.
"Your father loves you more than anything."
Sophia stared at her plate.
"Vanessa said he loved her more."
I felt my chest tighten.
"Sometimes adults say terrible things because they want to hurt someone."
"Why would she want to hurt me?"
I didn't know how to answer.
Before I could try, someone knocked softly.
Madison Bellini stood in the doorway.
She was holding a small pink gift bag.
"Can I come in?"
Sophia looked uncertain.
Then she nodded.
Madison approached the bed.
"I brought you something."
She reached inside the bag and pulled out a tiny silver bracelet.
A delicate butterfly charm hung from the chain.
"I bought it for you before the wedding."
Sophia blinked.
"For me?"
Madison nodded.
"I was supposed to give it to you when we walked down the aisle together."
"But we didn't."
"I know."
Madison's eyes filled with tears.
"Aunt Vanessa told me the plans changed."
Sophia looked down.
"She said I wasn't pretty enough for the pictures."
Madison shook her head fiercely.
"That's not true!"
She sat beside Sophia.
"She told me you were sick and didn't want to come downstairs."
Sophia looked at her.
"I wasn't sick."
"I know that now."
Madison twisted her hands.
Then she pulled another folded piece of paper from the gift bag.
I recognized it immediately.
A wedding program.
But this one was different.
Under the heading FAMILY PROCESSION, Sophia's name appeared directly beside her father's.
Madison's name was listed below them.
I reached for the paper.
"Where did you get this?"
Madison looked frightened.
"It was in Mom's purse."
"Is this the original?"
She nodded.
"Aunt Vanessa had a big argument with the wedding planner on Friday."
I leaned closer.
"What did they argue about?"
"I heard her say the first programs had to be destroyed."
My pulse quickened.
"Did she say why?"
Madison swallowed.
"Because she didn't want Sophia standing next to Uncle Luca."
Sophia's lower lip trembled.
"But why?"
Madison looked down at her shoes.
"She said people needed to get used to seeing a different family."
I didn't move.
There are moments when cruelty becomes so deliberate that it almost stops making sense.
This was one of them.
A grown woman had manipulated an entire wedding to make a nine-year-old child feel unwanted.
And another little girl had been placed in the middle of it.
I took Madison's hand.
"Thank you for telling us."
She looked toward the door.
"Please don't tell Aunt Vanessa."
"Why?"
Her voice dropped.
"She gets really angry when people don't do what she wants."
Before I could answer, a sharp voice sounded from the hallway.
"Madison!"
Vanessa appeared in the doorway.
She was no longer wearing her wedding gown.
Instead, she wore a cream-colored silk suit and enormous diamond earrings.
Her face tightened when she saw the program.
"What are you doing in here?"
Madison immediately stood.
"I was giving Sophia her present."
Vanessa glanced at the bracelet.
Then she looked at me.
"Claire, what exactly are you encouraging?"
"I'm helping the girls have a conversation."
"About what?"
"About yesterday."
Vanessa crossed the room.
She snatched the wedding program from my hand.
"This is private family business."
I stood.
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have involved the children."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Careful."
Sophia moved closer to Madison.
Vanessa noticed.
And for a moment, her expression became almost hateful.
"Madison, go downstairs."
"But Aunt Vanessa—"
"Now."
Madison fled.
Vanessa turned toward me.
"I warned you not to interfere."
I looked at Sophia.
"Perhaps you should discuss that with Mr. Moretti."
Vanessa laughed.
"Oh, Claire."
She moved closer.
"Do you really believe Luca will choose a maid over his wife?"
Before I could answer, she reached into her handbag.
She removed a small velvet jewelry box.
"This belonged to my grandmother."
She opened it, revealing an antique diamond brooch.
"Quite valuable."
I frowned.
"Why are you showing me this?"
Vanessa closed the box.
"Because valuable things have a habit of disappearing when staff forget their place."
My stomach tightened.
"Are you threatening me?"
She smiled.
"I'm reminding you that Luca doesn't know everything about the people he employs."
Then she walked away.
Sophia stared at the empty doorway.
"Claire?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Are you going to leave too?"
I turned toward her.
"Why would I leave?"
"Vanessa said everybody who loves me eventually goes away."
I sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Your mommy didn't choose to leave you, Sophia."
She began crying.
"I know."
"And your daddy isn't sending you anywhere."
"But what about you?"
I brushed the hair from her forehead.
"I'm right here."
She pressed the butterfly bracelet against her chest.
"Promise?"
I hesitated only long enough to understand the weight of the question.
Then I took her little hand.
"I promise I won't abandon you."
At that moment, Luca appeared in the doorway.
He had heard everything.
He stepped inside, knelt beside Sophia, and kissed her forehead.
"Neither will I, princess."
Sophia reached for both of us.
For several quiet seconds, we simply held her.
Then Luca's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression changed immediately.
"What is it?" I asked.
He looked at me.
"Vanessa just reported a missing piece of jewelry."
My blood went cold.
Luca continued.
"She claims her grandmother's diamond brooch has been stolen."
I remembered the velvet box.
The strange smile.
The warning.
And suddenly, I understood exactly what Vanessa had been planning.
She couldn't easily remove Sophia while Luca was watching.
May you like
So she had decided to remove the person Sophia trusted most.
Me.
