Chapter 9 - The Night Her Dead Husband Came Home
Josephine returned to her condominium the next afternoon.
Mateo hated the idea.
She went anyway.
Not alone.
Two security men remained downstairs.
Luca checked the apartment first.
Mateo stood in the hallway looking annoyed.
“You could stay at my place.”
“I could.”
“You’d be safer.”
“Probably.”
“But?”
Josephine unlocked her door herself.
“If I hide every time Nathaniel wants me afraid, I’m still living by his rules.”
Mateo couldn’t argue.
That was becoming one of Josephine’s favorite things about him.
He respected logic even when it inconvenienced him.
“Call me if anything feels wrong.”
“I know.”
“Anything.”
“Yes, Mateo.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
She smiled.
“Goodnight.”
He hesitated.
Then left.
Josephine closed the door.
Locked it.
Twice.
The apartment felt different.
Not haunted.
Exposed.
She walked through every room.
Nathaniel’s books still occupied one shelf.
She had never removed them.
Why?
Grief?
Habit?
Fear that changing the apartment meant admitting relief?
Josephine took down the first book.
Then another.
She filled a box.
Nathaniel’s cuff links.
Old photographs.
A framed award.
His monogrammed whiskey decanter.
Each object made the room lighter.
At ten, she opened her old drafting case.
At eleven, she sketched.
For the first time in three years.
Not Harbor House.
Something new.
Small apartments around an open courtyard.
A workshop.
A library.
A roof garden.
Her hand moved faster.
At 11:47 p.m., she heard the click.
Front door.
Josephine stopped drawing.
She had locked it.
A shadow moved across the entryway.
Her phone lay six feet away.
Nathaniel entered.
Alive.
No photograph could prepare her.
He looked older.
Leaner.
Dark hair touched with gray.
But the face was the same.
The man she had slept beside for seven years.
The man whose shirts she donated after his funeral.
The man whose grave she visited every month until spring.
He closed the door.
“Hi, Jo.”
Her body betrayed her.
Tears filled her eyes.
Nathaniel smiled sadly.
“I knew you’d cry.”
Josephine hated that sentence.
Because it turned her reaction into something he owned.
She wiped her eyes.
“How did you get in?”
“Still my apartment.”
“No.”
He looked around.
Saw the box of his belongings.
His expression changed.
“You’re clearing me out.”
“You’re legally dead.”
“For now.”
He stepped closer.
Josephine moved behind the drafting table.
“Stay there.”
Nathaniel paused.
“You’re afraid of me?”
“Yes.”
He looked almost offended.
“I never hurt you.”
Josephine laughed once.
“You really believe that.”
“I protected you.”
“You destroyed my company.”
“To keep you away from things you didn’t understand.”
“You forged my signature.”
“Because I needed a clean entity.”
“You used Aaron Bell’s body.”
His face tightened.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“But it did.”
“Domenico killed him.”
Josephine went still.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Nathaniel looked toward the window.
“Aaron followed me.”
“Why?”
“He suspected the transactions.”
“He trusted me.”
“He was going to expose everything.”
“So Domenico killed him?”
Nathaniel’s jaw worked.
“I tried to stop it.”
“Did you?”
“I told him not to.”
“That isn’t stopping it.”
“You don’t understand who Rinaldi was.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
“You found out.”
“Your father is alive.”
His face transformed.
Pain.
Hatred.
Humiliation.
“How long have you known?” Josephine asked.
“Three years.”
“And you still went after Mateo.”
“He knew.”
“No. He didn’t.”
“His family knew.”
“Not the same thing.”
“You’re defending him.”
“I’m stating a fact.”
Nathaniel laughed bitterly.
“Three days.”
“What?”
“It took three days for Bianchi to get into your head?”
“You had seven years.”
That silenced him.
Josephine’s heart pounded.
Nathaniel stepped forward.
“I came back for you.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You came back for the drive.”
“And you.”
“In that order?”
His expression hardened.
“Give me the drive.”
“No.”
“Josephine.”
She reached slowly toward her phone.
Nathaniel noticed.
“Don’t.”
Her hand stopped.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Then let me call Mateo.”
His eyes went cold.
“No.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“Say it.”
“I don’t want him here.”
“My home.”
“Our home.”
“No.”
Nathaniel stared.
Josephine felt years of conditioning pull at her.
Soften your voice.
Don’t provoke him.
Let him think the decision is his.
She almost obeyed.
Then she looked at the plans on her desk.
Architecture should return choices to people who have lost them.
Her own words.
She straightened.
“You need to leave.”
Nathaniel laughed.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
“Jo.”
“Don’t call me that.”
His face hardened.
“You’re my wife.”
“I was.”
“You are.”
“You died.”
“I did it for us.”
“You buried Aaron under your name.”
His control slipped.
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
“You sound like your stupid project.”
Josephine smiled.
“Yes.”
That infuriated him.
“You think architecture makes you brave?”
“No.”
She took one step toward the phone.
“But I think remembering who I was before you helps.”
Nathaniel reached her first.
He grabbed her wrist.
Not violently.
But firmly.
Too firmly.
Josephine froze.
For seven years he had never done that.
Nathaniel looked down at his hand as though surprised.
“Let go.”
“Just listen.”
“Let go.”
“Josephine.”
“LET GO.”
The apartment door burst open.
Mateo entered with Luca behind him.
Nathaniel released her immediately.
Mateo’s eyes went to Josephine’s wrist.
Then Nathaniel.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Nathaniel smiled.
“Mateo Bianchi.”
Mateo spoke to Josephine.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Did he touch you?”
Nathaniel scoffed.
“She’s my wife.”
Mateo’s expression became terrifyingly calm.
“That was not the question.”
Josephine rubbed her wrist.
“I’m okay.”
Mateo nodded.
Only then did he look at Nathaniel.
“You have five seconds to step away from her.”
Nathaniel laughed.
“What happens after five?”
Josephine stepped between them.
“No.”
Both men looked at her.
She pointed toward Nathaniel.
“You leave.”
Then Mateo.
“You do not kill him.”
Mateo’s jaw tightened.
“I promised.”
Nathaniel smiled.
“How noble.”
Josephine looked at him.
“You should be grateful.”
“For what?”
“He’s the only reason I haven’t called the police yet.”
Nathaniel’s smile faded.
“You wouldn’t.”
Josephine reached for her phone.
Nathaniel backed toward the door.
“You really think Bianchi is different?”
“Yes.”
The answer came before she could analyze it.
Mateo looked at her.
Nathaniel did too.
Josephine continued.
“Because when I tell him no, he hears it.”
Nathaniel’s face changed.
That hurt him more than any accusation.
He opened the door.
“Midnight tomorrow.”
“For what?”
“The truth.”
“I already have it.”
“No.”
He looked at Mateo.
“You have his version.”
Then back to Josephine.
“Bring the drive to Laurent.”
“Why Laurent?”
Nathaniel smiled.
“Because that’s where our story began.”
“No. You proposed there.”
“Same thing.”
Josephine shook her head.
“That is exactly the difference between us.”
Nathaniel left.
Mateo waited thirty seconds before speaking.
“How did he get through the building?”
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll find out.”
Josephine looked at him.
“How did you know?”
Mateo held up his phone.
“Your door sensor.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You put a sensor on my door?”
“Luca did.”
Luca suddenly found the ceiling fascinating.
“Without permission?”
Mateo sighed.
“Yes.”
“That violates at least three of your precious rules.”
“I know.”
“I’m furious.”
“I know.”
“And grateful.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that.”
A small smile appeared.
Josephine’s anger collapsed into exhausted laughter.
Then her face crumpled.
Mateo crossed the room.
He stopped before touching her.
Josephine closed the final distance herself.
His arms came around her.
Strong.
Careful.
She rested her forehead against his chest.
“I thought I wanted him alive.”
Mateo’s voice came quietly.
“You wanted answers.”
“I wanted proof I wasn’t crazy.”
“You have it.”
“No.”
She pulled back.
“I spent years believing everything was my fault.”
Mateo looked at her.
“That doesn’t disappear because he walked through the door.”
Josephine nodded.
“I know.”
Mateo’s thumb hovered near the red mark on her wrist but didn’t touch.
“I’m going to say something you won’t like.”
“That seems to be our relationship.”
“You shouldn’t meet him tomorrow.”
“I’m going.”
“I know.”
“Then why argue?”
“Because respecting your choices doesn’t require pretending I agree with them.”
Josephine stared at him.
Nathaniel had called compliance love.
Mateo disagreed with her and still left the decision hers.
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“I’m going.”
“I know.”
“And you’re coming.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“Nathaniel said alone.”
“I’m done following Nathaniel’s instructions.”
Mateo smiled slowly.
“That may be my favorite thing you’ve said.”
Josephine returned the smile.
Neither noticed the tiny red light blinking inside the smoke detector above them.
Someone was still watching.
May you like
And across the city, Domenico Rinaldi listened to every word.
---
