Chapter 8 - One Signature That Wasn’t Luca’s
Police traced the threatening number to a prepaid phone.
Predictably useless.
But Victor made another mistake.
He sent the photograph too quickly.
The image had been captured from a traffic camera feed.
A private contractor operated that network.
Daniel knew someone there.
By evening, they had a user login.
The account belonged to North Lake Holdings.
The walls were closing in.
Not quickly enough.
My mother refused to stay at the estate indefinitely.
“I have a life, Emma.”
“You also have someone photographing you.”
“I raised you alone for twenty-eight years. I am not going to collapse because some rich criminal owns a camera.”
“Mom.”
She smiled.
“I’ll stay.”
“Thank you.”
“For two days.”
“Mom.”
“Three.”
I accepted.
Luca arranged a room closer to mine.
He also paid for a private nurse to review her medication.
When I protested, he said it was part of employee support.
I knew it wasn’t entirely.
But I stopped arguing.
That night Daniel showed us another forged document.
A banking authorization bearing Luca’s signature.
This one would have transferred control of a family trust after marriage under specific emergency circumstances.
Luca read it slowly.
“What emergency circumstances?”
Daniel pointed.
“Legal incapacity.”
My stomach tightened.
“You mean if something happened to him?”
“Or if someone proved he was mentally or legally unable to manage assets.”
Luca’s jaw hardened.
Vanessa had been collecting material to create that appearance.
Photographs.
Edited recordings.
Financial documents.
Potential allegations.
If she married Luca, then manufactured a crisis, she might gain temporary control over certain assets.
Not everything.
But enough.
“Would it work?” I asked.
“Not permanently,” Luca said.
“But long enough to create chaos.”
Daniel nodded.
“And long enough for North Lake to move against vulnerable businesses.”
Vanessa had been promised wealth.
Victor wanted collapse.
The wedding had been a deadline.
Bruno nearly exposed her too early.
So she removed him.
Then I interfered.
That was why she threatened me.
Not simply because I witnessed cruelty.
Because any investigation before the wedding could unravel everything.
At 7:30 the next morning, Vanessa called Luca.
He put the call on speaker.
“I want to meet.”
“No.”
“I can help you.”
“You had several months.”
“Victor lied to me.”
Luca glanced at Daniel.
“About what?”
“Everything.”
“Be specific.”
Vanessa began crying.
“I thought he was helping me protect myself.”
“You gave him access to my study.”
“He said he could review the prenup.”
“You photographed confidential files.”
“He said they proved you were hiding assets.”
“You stole my mother’s jewelry.”
Silence.
“That was mine after we married.”
“No.”
“I was going to put it back.”
“You arranged Bruno’s death.”
Vanessa’s voice changed.
“I panicked.”
My fingers tightened.
Luca became very still.
“You panicked?”
“He brought that stupid pouch into the kitchen. Emma saw it. I knew she’d eventually connect it.”
“You injured her.”
“She got in the way.”
I looked at Luca.
He looked at me.
Vanessa had just admitted it.
Daniel silently started another recording device.
Luca continued.
“And the photograph?”
“I needed the shelter to believe Bruno was dangerous.”
“You moved the appointment.”
“I was afraid you’d find him.”
Her voice broke.
“I didn’t know Victor had copied the documents.”
Luca’s expression showed no sympathy.
“What do you want?”
“Protection.”
“From me?”
“From Victor.”
“Why?”
“Because he knows I’m talking.”
“You haven’t told me anything useful.”
“I know who controls North Lake.”
Daniel leaned forward.
Luca said nothing.
Vanessa continued.
“Meet me.”
“Tell me now.”
“No.”
“Then we’re done.”
“Luca!”
He waited.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“It’s someone you know.”
“Name.”
“I need immunity.”
“I’m not a prosecutor.”
“I need your attorneys.”
“Name.”
Silence.
Then Vanessa whispered:
“Richard Vale.”
Luca went completely still.
Daniel whispered something under his breath.
I looked between them.
“Who is Richard Vale?”
Luca answered.
“My godfather.”
Richard Vale had stood beside Luca’s father at his wedding.
He had held Luca as a baby.
He had attended Isabella’s funeral.
He had toasted Luca’s engagement to Vanessa.
One of the twenty-six guests at the dinner.
My mind raced.
“Was he there that night?”
“Yes.”
Then I remembered.
An older man near the end of the table.
Silver hair.
Gray suit.
He was the guest who quietly set down his fork when my torn uniform was revealed.
He had watched everything.
Vanessa’s lie.
Luca’s suspicion.
My fear.
And all along he already knew why Bruno had been removed.
Luca picked up the guest list.
Richard Vale’s name was number seven.
He had been sitting less than ten feet from me.
Watching.
Waiting.
May you like
And when Luca left the table at 9:38 to investigate the kennels, Richard had quietly left the estate at 9:42.
Four minutes later.
