Chapter 13 - THE LAST SECRET IN THE MORETTI HOUSE
Their wedding was scheduled for October.
Small.
Claire insisted.
Adrian's definition of small was two hundred guests.
Claire's was forty.
They settled at seventy-five.
Then, six weeks before the wedding, Isabella disappeared.
Again.
Adrian's old fear returned instantly.
But this time he did not explode.
He called.
No answer.
He contacted her attorney.
Nothing.
Then her housekeeper found a note.
ADRIAN — I'M SORRY. I HAVE TO FINISH WHAT I SHOULD HAVE FINISHED NINETEEN YEARS AGO.
Claire read it.
"What does she mean?"
Adrian already knew.
"Vincent's old house."
The Moretti family owned a property north of Boston that had been closed for years.
Isabella had refused to enter it since returning.
Adrian and Claire drove there with Marcus.
They found Isabella in Vincent's study.
Alive.
Surrounded by boxes.
"Mother."
She looked up.
"I'm sorry."
"Stop disappearing."
"I know."
Adrian exhaled.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for this."
She held a key.
Behind a wall panel was an old safe.
Inside were documents.
Photographs.
And a sealed letter.
For Adrian.
Vincent had discovered Victor's betrayal earlier than anyone realized.
He had also discovered something about Isabella.
She had once signed documents for Arthur Vale.
Before Vincent's murder.
Adrian looked at his mother.
"You helped them?"
Isabella cried.
"Without understanding."
Arthur told her the documents protected family assets.
She signed.
Victor used those signatures to move money.
When Vincent discovered it, he confronted her.
They argued.
Their marriage nearly ended.
Then Vincent died.
Isabella spent nineteen years believing her mistake helped cause his murder.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Shame."
Adrian laughed bitterly.
Always shame.
The Moretti family had buried more truth beneath shame than beneath concrete.
Claire squeezed his hand.
Adrian looked at Isabella.
"Did you kill him?"
"No."
"Did you know Victor would?"
"No."
"Then you made a mistake."
"A terrible one."
"Yes."
She looked surprised by his bluntness.
Adrian continued.
"But I'm done confusing mistakes with identity."
Claire looked at him.
Vincent's letter confirmed it.
He had forgiven Isabella before his death.
He wrote:
Isa made a mistake because she trusted the wrong man. If something happens to me, do not let anyone turn her mistake into a weapon against her.
Adrian handed the letter to his mother.
She collapsed into tears.
Nineteen years.
She had punished herself for nineteen years for something her husband had already forgiven.
Claire sat beside her.
Adrian walked outside.
He looked toward the trees.
Claire joined him later.
"You okay?"
"No."
"Good answer."
He looked at her.
"My family wasted half their lives hiding things."
"Then ours won't."
He said it before thinking.
Ours.
Claire smiled.
"Ours?"
Adrian looked toward her ring.
"You're marrying me."
"I know."
"That generally creates an ours."
"Very romantic."
"I'm improving."
She leaned against him.
Then her expression changed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Claire."
She looked pale.
"Probably stress."
"What is?"
"I'm dizzy."
Adrian immediately straightened.
"Sit."
"I'm fine."
"Claire."
She rolled her eyes.
Then fainted.
Adrian caught her before she hit the ground.
"Claire!"
Every nightmare returned.
Elevator.
Container.
Hospital.
He lifted her.
Marcus called emergency services.
Claire woke thirty seconds later.
"Why am I on the ground?"
"You fainted."
"Oh."
"That's all you have?"
"I'm tired."
At the hospital, Adrian paced.
Claire complained.
Then the physician entered smiling.
"Ms. Dawson, your tests look good."
Adrian stopped.
"Then why did she faint?"
"Several possibilities."
The doctor looked at Claire.
"But the most obvious is that she's pregnant."
Silence.
Claire stared.
Adrian stared.
"What?"
The doctor smiled.
"Approximately seven weeks."
Claire started crying.
Adrian sat because his knees had unexpectedly stopped cooperating.
"Pregnant?"
"Yes."
He looked at Claire.
She laughed through tears.
"You're pale."
"I don't get pale."
"You are."
He took her hand.
Fear came first.
Not joy.
Claire saw it.
"What?"
"What if something happens?"
Her expression softened.
"Then we handle it."
"I couldn't—"
"Adrian."
She touched his face.
"You don't protect people by preventing life from happening."
He closed his eyes.
Victor had taught him control.
Claire kept teaching him trust.
He opened them.
"We're having a baby."
"Apparently."
A smile slowly appeared.
A real one.
The kind few people had ever seen.
"We're having a baby."
Claire smiled back.
"Yes."
He kissed her forehead.
Then immediately asked the doctor seventeen questions.
Claire finally interrupted.
"Adrian."
"What?"
"I'm pregnant, not transporting nuclear material."
The doctor tried not to laugh.
Adrian did not find it funny.
But later, alone, with his hand resting gently against Claire's still-flat stomach, he whispered something she pretended not to hear.
"You're already safe with me."
Claire opened her eyes.
"No promises you can't control."
He nodded.
"Then I'll promise something I can."
"What?"
May you like
"I'll be here."
That promise, he could keep.
