Chapter 2 - The Men Who Came to Take Sophia|
For several seconds, nobody in the kitchen moved.
The pink birthday candle continued burning on the cupcake, its tiny flame trembling in the silence.
Luca Moretti stared at his security chief as though the man had just announced that the entire mansion belonged to a stranger.
"What did you say, Marco?"
Marco DeLuca swallowed.
"The men outside have documents claiming you voluntarily surrendered your parental rights, Boss."
Sophia's little fingers tightened around her father's hand.
"Daddy, please don't let them take me."
I had never heard a child sound so frightened.
Luca immediately knelt in front of her.
"Look at me, princess."
Sophia's eyes filled with tears.
"Nobody is taking you anywhere tonight."
"But Vanessa said you already signed everything."
Luca's expression changed.
He slowly turned toward his wife.
"Did you tell my daughter I was giving her away?"
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"You're making this unnecessarily dramatic."
"Answer my question."
"She's been difficult for months, Luca!"
Sophia flinched.
I instinctively moved closer to her.
Vanessa pointed an accusing finger toward me.
"And that maid has been encouraging her behavior!"
Luca stood.
"Claire hasn't said a word against you."
"Because she's manipulating you!"
"Enough."
The single word silenced the kitchen.
Luca turned toward Marco.
"Bring those men into the front office, but keep them away from Sophia."
"Yes, Boss."
"And call my attorney."
Vanessa's face went pale.
"Darling, there's no reason to involve lawyers."
Luca looked at her without blinking.
"Apparently someone already involved a court."
For the first time since I had started working at the Moretti mansion, Vanessa Bellini looked genuinely afraid.
Marco disappeared down the hallway.
Through the open ballroom doors, I could still hear music playing.
Guests were laughing beneath the chandeliers, unaware that a nine-year-old girl was fighting to remain in her own home.
Sophia looked at the cupcake.
"Claire, can I blow out my candle now?"
My throat tightened.
"Of course, sweetheart."
She leaned forward.
But instead of making a wish, she whispered something barely audible.
"Please let Daddy keep me."
Then she blew out the flame.
Luca closed his eyes.
I saw his jaw tremble.
He had built an empire that made powerful men afraid to speak his name.
Yet his daughter had reached her ninth birthday believing he no longer wanted her.
"Claire," he said quietly, "take Sophia to the sitting room beside my office."
I hesitated.
"Will you be all right, Mr. Moretti?"
He looked toward Vanessa.
"That depends on what I find out."
I took Sophia's hand.
As we walked into the hallway, a little girl wearing a sparkling silver dress appeared near the staircase.
Madison Bellini.
Vanessa's ten-year-old niece.
A diamond-studded birthday crown rested on her dark curls.
She looked at Sophia's tearstained cheeks and then at the cupcake in my hand.
"Are you leaving tonight?" Madison asked.
Sophia stopped walking.
"Did your aunt tell you that?"
Madison lowered her eyes.
"She said your room was going to be empty tomorrow."
My blood ran cold.
Before I could question her further, Vanessa appeared behind us.
"Madison, go back to the party."
"But Aunt Vanessa—"
"Now!"
The little girl hurried away.
Luca had heard everything.
He looked at his wife.
"Her room?"
Vanessa opened her mouth, but no explanation came.
At that moment, Marco returned carrying a thick brown envelope.
Behind him stood two unfamiliar men in dark coats.
One held a leather briefcase.
The other avoided looking directly at Luca.
"The paperwork," Marco announced.
Luca took the envelope and spread its contents across the kitchen counter.
There was a court seal.
A notarized signature.
A document describing Sophia as an emotionally unstable minor requiring specialized residential care.
And a signed statement identifying Vanessa Bellini-Moretti as the person authorized to arrange her transportation.
Luca read the first page.
Then the second.
Then the third.
His face grew colder.
"Who prepared these documents?"
The taller stranger cleared his throat.
"Sir, we're contracted transportation personnel from Halcyon Family Placement Services."
"Who hired you?"
"We received instructions through an attorney."
"Which attorney?"
The man hesitated.
"I would have to check our records."
Luca placed the pages on the counter.
"You drove to my home at ten o'clock at night to remove my daughter, and you don't know who hired you?"
"We were told everything had been legally approved."
Luca leaned forward.
"Nothing has been approved by me."
The shorter man spoke nervously.
"Sir, your signature is on the court documents."
Luca looked directly at him.
"Then somebody committed forgery."
Vanessa suddenly stepped forward.
"Luca, perhaps you signed them without remembering."
The entire room went silent.
He slowly turned.
"What did you just suggest?"
"You sign hundreds of documents every week."
"Not documents surrendering my daughter."
Her eyes flickered toward the men.
"Sometimes you let other people handle family decisions."
Luca stared at her.
Then he turned to Marco.
"Call the police, and make sure the men remain available to explain who sent them."
Vanessa gasped.
"You're calling the police on your own wife?"
"I'm reporting forged documents concerning my child."
The taller stranger looked relieved, as though he had suddenly realized how deeply he had been deceived.
"I'll cooperate, Mr. Moretti."
A moment later, Luca's phone rang.
His attorney, Nora Whitcomb, answered on speaker.
After hearing the situation, she asked Marco to photograph every page.
Then she said something important.
"A signed piece of paper does not automatically terminate parental rights, Luca."
"Then what is this?"
"Possibly an elaborate fraud, but I need to verify the court seal and docket information."
Luca exhaled.
"Do whatever is necessary."
Nora continued examining the photographs.
Then her voice changed.
"There's another problem."
"What problem?"
"The petition contains an affidavit from someone who supposedly witnessed Sophia's emotional instability."
I felt Vanessa looking at me.
Luca frowned.
"Who?"
Nora hesitated.
"Claire Bennett."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
Luca slowly turned toward me.
Nora continued.
"According to this document, Claire testified that Sophia was unsafe in the family home and should be transferred immediately."
I shook my head.
"That's impossible."
But Nora wasn't finished.
"The affidavit also contains Claire's signature."
Vanessa smiled.
And Luca looked down at the final page, where somebody had forged my name beneath a statement I had never made.
Worse still, the document claimed I had personally requested Sophia's removal.
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Someone had not only planned to take the little girl away.
Someone had planned to make me responsible.
