Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
We left through the rear entrance.
Damian stayed behind.
He insisted.
“Take the ledger.”
Luca shook his head.
“You're coming with us.”
“No.”
“I'm not leaving you again.”
Damian looked at him.
“You already did.”
The words hurt.
Luca stopped.
Damian softened.
“You were twenty-eight. You had Fiona. I had nothing. Someone had to disappear.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
Luca looked down.
“I buried an empty coffin.”
Damian's eyes filled.
“I know.”
For a moment, they were brothers again.
Then Damian pushed the ledger into Luca's hand.
“Protect the girls.”
He disappeared into the hallway.
Luca grabbed my hand.
“Run.”
We reached the car.
The black sedan was gone.
But the danger followed us home.
Nora was waiting in the kitchen.
The moment she saw the ledger, her face went white.
“You found it.”
I stepped closer.
“You know what this is?”
She nodded.
“I've been looking for it for three years.”
“Why?”
“Because it proves what happened.”
“To Chloe?”
“To everyone.”
She sat down.
“I was the accounting clerk.”
“You worked for Luca's father.”
“Yes.”
“What did you discover?”
“Money missing from the employee relief fund.”
“How much?”
“Two point four million dollars.”
Luca's jaw tightened.
“Victor.”
Nora shook her head.
“Not alone.”
She looked at him.
“Your father knew.”
Luca stared.
“He knew?”
“He found out.”
“Then why did he protect Victor?”
“He didn't.”
Nora's eyes filled.
“He tried to stop him.”
I looked at the ledger.
“Then why does Victor have so much power?”
“Because your father died before he could finish.”
Luca looked toward Fiona's bedroom.
“Where was Chloe?”
Nora hesitated.
“She came to me.”
“When?”
“Six years ago.”
My heart pounded.
“What did she want?”
“She wanted to take Fiona and leave.”
“Why didn't she?”
“Because someone threatened to hurt you.”
Luca looked at me.
“Me?”
Nora shook her head.
“Fiona.”
Silence.
“Chloe believed the only way to keep Fiona alive was to disappear.”
“And she left her daughter?”
“She thought she would come back.”
Nora's voice broke.
“She didn't abandon Fiona.”
“Then what happened?”
“She trusted the wrong person.”
“Who?”
Nora looked at the ledger.
“Vivian.”
Luca's expression hardened.
“Vivian knew where Chloe was?”
“She knew where Chloe was going.”
“Where?”
“Chicago.”
I felt the room spinning.
“The train ticket.”
Nora nodded.
“Chloe was supposed to meet Damian there.”
“But Damian said she disappeared.”
“She never reached him.”
“Who stopped her?”
Nora closed her eyes.
“Victor.”
Luca's hands curled into fists.
“Did he hurt her?”
“No.”
Nora shook her head.
“He wanted the ledger.”
“Did he get it?”
“No.”
“Where did Chloe hide it?”
Nora looked at Fiona's drawing on the refrigerator.
“In the one place nobody would search.”
“Where?”
Nora whispered,
“Inside the house.”
I stared at her.
“The Moretti house?”
“Yes.”
Luca looked around.
“This house?”
Nora nodded.
“Chloe came back once.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
The same year I met Luca.
My stomach dropped.
“Did she see Fiona?”
Nora nodded.
“From a distance.”
“Why didn't she come inside?”
“Because Victor was watching.”
Luca looked devastated.
“You knew?”
“I knew enough.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Chloe made me promise.”
“What promise?”
“That Fiona would stay safe.”
Nora reached into a drawer.
She pulled out a small photograph.
Chloe standing outside the house.
Fiona was visible through the window.
Three years ago.
I stared at the image.
Luca took it.
His hand shook.
“She came home.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't she knock?”
Nora looked at him.
“Because there was a man standing across the street.”
Luca stared at the photograph.
“Who?”
Nora's voice became barely audible.
“Your father.”
I froze.
“Your father was already dead,” Luca whispered.
Nora nodded.
“I know.”
Silence.
Then she looked at me.
“That was the first time I understood.”
“Understood what?”
“That Victor wasn't the only person hiding the truth.”
A car stopped outside.
Nora immediately stood.
“Luca.”
He moved toward the window.
Nora grabbed my hand.
“Don't let Fiona see.”
The front gate opened.
A black sedan entered.
But this time, Luca recognized the driver.
It was Vivian.
She stepped out alone.
May you like
She walked toward the house.
And in her hand was a photograph.
