Chapter 10 - The Man Luca Trusted Like a Brother|
Daniel Kessler had been part of Luca Moretti's life longer than I had.
He had attended Luca's wedding to Isabella.
He had stood beside the family at Isabella's funeral.
He had personally delivered flowers to Sophia every year on her birthday.
And all the while, according to the evidence now emerging, he had been stealing from the foundation her mother created.
Luca sat in his office staring at Daniel's photograph.
"Eleven years," he murmured.
Nora looked at him.
"What?"
"I trusted that man for eleven years."
He turned toward me.
"He knew Isabella."
I nodded.
"He knew Sophia."
His voice became bitter.
"And he used both of them."
Outside, the house had become strangely peaceful.
Rachel had returned with Madison.
The two girls were now sitting together in Sophia's bedroom, eating strawberry cake that Luca had finally managed to bake.
The frosting was uneven.
The cake leaned slightly to one side.
But Sophia had declared it the best birthday cake in the world.
That was the small miracle happening upstairs.
Downstairs, everything was falling apart.
Nora spread several financial reports across Luca's desk.
"We've requested preservation of Daniel's electronic records."
"Will that stop the transfer?"
"June and the foundation's other authorized officers have instructed the bank to place a hold on the disputed transactions."
Luca exhaled.
"Good."
"We're also seeking a court order to prevent any unauthorized board action."
"Do whatever you need."
Nora looked at him carefully.
"There's something else."
Luca frowned.
"What?"
"Daniel was using one of your personal authorization accounts."
He stared at her.
"How?"
"Someone apparently had access to your signature files, passwords, and stored financial approvals."
Luca looked away.
I watched something shift in his expression.
He was beginning to understand that his habit of delegating everything had created dangerous opportunities.
A man who controlled hundreds of employees had failed to control access to the most important documents in his own home.
"I let him handle the paperwork," Luca admitted.
Nora nodded.
"And he exploited that trust."
Before we could continue, Marco entered carrying a tablet.
"Boss, we've located Daniel's vehicle."
"Where?"
"At one of the foundation's storage offices."
Nora stood.
"Notify the detectives."
Marco nodded.
"They're already on their way."
Luca reached for his coat.
I stepped forward.
"Mr. Moretti?"
He stopped.
"Claire?"
"Please don't do something that makes Sophia afraid of you again."
His hand froze on the coat.
For a moment, he looked almost offended.
Then he understood.
I wasn't accusing him.
I was reminding him of what mattered.
He slowly placed the coat back on the chair.
"You're right."
He turned toward Marco.
"Give the police everything they need."
Marco nodded.
And Luca stayed home.
It was probably the hardest decision I had ever seen him make.
Later that evening, an investigator called Nora.
Daniel had been found inside the storage office.
He was attempting to remove boxes of financial records when officers arrived.
He claimed he was simply protecting confidential documents.
But investigators had already obtained evidence linking him to the forged signatures and suspicious payments.
Several electronic devices were taken for forensic examination.
Daniel agreed to speak with the detectives after contacting an attorney.
For the first time since the nightmare began, it seemed that Vanessa's entire plan was beginning to collapse.
Then my phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.
I answered cautiously.
"Hello?"
A man's voice spoke.
"Claire Bennett?"
"Yes."
"This is Daniel Kessler."
My blood turned cold.
I looked toward Luca.
Daniel continued before I could respond.
"You need to understand that you're getting involved in something much bigger than a child's birthday."
My hand began trembling.
"Why are you calling me?"
"Because you still have time to protect yourself."
I stared at the telephone.
"From what?"
"Vanessa has documents that could destroy your reputation."
I remembered her threat near the staircase.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"If you tell Luca you made a mistake, this can all go away."
I felt sick.
"You forged my signature."
There was silence.
Then Daniel said, "You don't understand how powerful some people are."
I looked at Luca.
He was watching me carefully.
I took a breath.
"I understand that somebody tried to take a little girl from her father."
Daniel sighed.
"Don't be foolish."
"No."
My voice became steady.
"I've spent too long being afraid of people like you."
Then I ended the call.
Luca immediately approached.
"Who was that?"
"Daniel."
His expression hardened.
"What did he want?"
"To frighten me into changing my story."
Nora quickly documented the call and passed the information to the investigators.
Luca looked at me for a long moment.
"Claire, I'm sorry."
I shook my head.
"You didn't make that call."
"No."
He looked ashamed.
"But I gave these people enough power to believe they could control everyone around me."
I didn't answer.
Because he was right.
Later that night, Nora returned with another discovery.
She had finished comparing the forged guardianship papers with the legitimate documents Luca had signed after marrying Vanessa.
She placed one particular form on his desk.
"I need you to read this."
Luca scanned the page.
His expression changed.
"What is it?" I asked.
Nora pointed to the bottom.
"This signature is genuine."
Luca stared at it.
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What did he sign?"
Nora spoke carefully.
"A limited power of attorney allowing Vanessa to make certain school and emergency educational decisions for Sophia."
Luca looked horrified.
"I signed that after our wedding."
Nora nodded.
"The document doesn't authorize surrendering parental rights or transferring custody."
She paused.
"But it gave Vanessa enough access to appear legitimate to schools, service providers, and anyone who didn't look closely."
Luca slowly lowered the paper.
His voice was barely audible.
"I gave her the keys."
Nobody answered.
Then he looked toward the staircase, where Sophia was sleeping peacefully beside Madison.
May you like
And for the first time, the terrifying truth was no longer just about forged signatures.
One of the signatures had been his own.
