Chapter 4 - The Man Who Controlled the Family Money|
Antonio Moretti arrived at the mansion forty minutes later.
He was sixty-four years old, with silver hair, expensive shoes, and the kind of pleasant smile that made strangers trust him immediately.
I had met him twice.
Both times, he'd addressed me politely.
Both times, something about him had made me uncomfortable.
Tonight, he walked into the library carrying a leather briefcase.
"Luca."
His smile faded when he saw the room.
"What happened?"
Luca stood beside the fireplace.
The tattoos along his neck and hands were visible beneath his open black collar.
He didn't offer his uncle a drink.
Didn't smile.
Didn't invite him to sit.
Instead, he held up Eleanor's letter.
"Do you recognize this?"
Antonio adjusted his glasses.
"Should I?"
"The family crest."
"Obviously."
"The initials."
Antonio looked closer.
Then shrugged.
"Those could belong to anyone."
Luca stared at him.
"A.M."
Antonio's smile tightened.
"You're not the only Moretti with those initials."
"Then tell me who else used your office stationery."
Silence.
Eleanor sat beside Lily, whose hands rested in my lap.
The little girl had asked me to stay near her while the adults spoke.
I had agreed.
But I was beginning to feel that this room held more danger than any hallway I'd ever cleaned.
Antonio finally sighed.
"Perhaps I sent it. I don't remember every letter from three years ago."
Eleanor flinched.
Luca took one step closer.
"You threatened to take my niece away from me."
Antonio laughed nervously.
"Threatened? Luca, you know how emotional people become after a death."
"Answer me."
Antonio's smile vanished.
"Your sister had left complicated financial affairs."
Luca stared at him.
"My sister was a schoolteacher."
"She was also a Moretti."
The words sounded almost like an accusation.
Antonio placed his briefcase on the table.
"Her inheritance was substantial. Michael Whitmore made foolish decisions before his death."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were grieving."
Luca laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"You keep making decisions for me while telling me you're protecting me."
Antonio folded his arms.
"Someone had to protect the estate."
Luca looked toward Lily.
Then back at his uncle.
"Was the estate more important than my niece?"
Antonio hesitated.
That hesitation told me everything.
I felt Lily tighten her grip.
I gently signed.
You are safe here.
She looked at me.
Then signed back.
I don't like him.
I didn't answer.
Luca saw the exchange.
He turned toward his uncle.
"Why was Eleanor threatened?"
Antonio sighed.
"Because she was making accusations without evidence."
"What accusations?"
"That Michael had been manipulated into signing financial agreements."
"And was he?"
Antonio looked away.
Luca's voice became cold.
"Was he?"
Finally, Antonio answered.
"Yes."
The room went silent.
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Vanessa stared at her hands.
Antonio continued.
"Michael was in debt. He borrowed money from investors connected to the Bellini family. He used projected income from Isabella's inheritance to secure the loans."
Luca's expression hardened.
"He didn't have authority to do that."
"I know."
"Then the agreements were worthless."
"Legally disputed, yes."
Luca stared at him.
"Why didn't you challenge them?"
Antonio looked uncomfortable.
"Because the investors threatened to expose Michael's involvement."
"And?"
Antonio hesitated.
Luca stepped closer.
"And what, Uncle?"
The older man lowered his eyes.
"Some of our own companies had dealings with those investors."
Silence.
I could almost hear the grandfather clock ticking beside the doorway.
Luca looked toward Daniel.
"Get our independent attorney. Not the family office. Someone outside every company Antonio manages."
Daniel nodded.
Antonio's face hardened.
"That's unnecessary."
Luca turned toward him.
"No. What's unnecessary is threatening an elderly woman to keep her from seeing her granddaughter."
Antonio looked toward Eleanor.
She began crying.
"I only wanted to see Lily."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Lily stood.
She approached Eleanor slowly.
The old woman turned toward her.
Lily positioned herself where Eleanor could see her clearly.
Then signed something.
Eleanor looked confused.
I quietly interpreted.
"She's asking why you didn't come to her birthday parties."
Eleanor's face crumpled.
"Oh, sweetheart."
Lily's eyes filled.
"Mommy used to say I had a grandma in heaven."
Eleanor began sobbing.
I knelt beside Lily.
"Would you like me to help you explain?"
She nodded.
I gently signed along while speaking.
"Lily wants to know whether you forgot about her."
Eleanor shook her head desperately.
"Never."
Her voice broke.
"I never forgot."
She reached into her handbag.
Then removed a small envelope.
Inside were photographs.
A photograph of Lily's first birthday.
Another of her third.
One from her fifth birthday party.
And several recent school photographs.
Lily stared at them.
"How did you get these?"
Eleanor looked toward Luca.
"Someone sent them to me anonymously every year."
Luca frowned.
"Who?"
Eleanor shook her head.
"I don't know."
Then Lily noticed something on the back of one photograph.
She turned it over.
Her face changed.
I leaned closer.
Someone had written a message in blue ink.
She deserves to know the truth when she's old enough.
Beneath the message were three initials.
I.M.
Luca stopped breathing.
I looked up.
"Mr. Moretti?"
He stared at the photograph.
Then whispered, "Isabella."
His dead sister.
Someone had used her initials.
But Lily's most recent photograph had been taken only six months earlier.
Three years after Isabella died.
And suddenly, the mystery became something far more frightening.
Someone inside the Moretti family had been secretly contacting Eleanor for years.
May you like
Someone who knew what had happened.
Someone who had remained silent while Lily was threatened with being sent away.
