Chapter 3 - Serena Had Brought Victor’s Confession

Serena stood outside.

No coat.

Dark red velvet gown.

Eyes swollen from crying.

In one hand was a flash drive.

In the other was her engagement ring.

Luca looked at both.

“You came prepared.”

She swallowed.

“My father gave me this.”

“The ring?”

“The drive.”

Luca stepped aside.

Serena entered.

She saw Elena.

Stopped.

Elena said nothing.

Serena whispered:

“I’m sorry.”

Elena answered:

“You already said that last month.”

Luca looked at Serena.

“What is on the drive?”

She held it out.

“A recording.”

“Of?”

“My father.”

Luca did not take it.

“When?”

“Three years ago.”

“Why do you have it?”

Serena looked at Elena.

“Because she gave it to me last month.”

Silence.

Luca stared at his mother.

“You gave her evidence.”

“Yes.”

“Not me.”

“No.”

“Why?”

Elena lowered her eyes.

“I didn’t know if you would believe me.”

Luca laughed quietly.

“So you tested the truth on my fiancée.”

“No.”

Serena interrupted.

“She wanted me to decide whether I could marry you while helping my father hide this.”

Luca turned.

“And you decided yes.”

Serena closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

He nodded slowly.

“At least that answer is honest.”

She placed the flash drive on the table.

Luca opened an old laptop.

One audio file.

Victor Voss.

His voice.

“I moved the accounts after Antonio asked me to protect them.”

Another voice.

Elena.

“When?”

“After he came back to you.”

Luca looked up.

His mother nodded.

The recording continued.

Victor said:

“He wanted to dismantle everything.”

Elena answered:

“Then why didn’t you help him?”

Victor laughed.

“Because I had spent fifteen years making money from the same system.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

Victor continued.

“Antonio wanted forgiveness.”

“I wanted leverage.”

Serena looked away.

The recording played.

Elena asked:

“Did you threaten him?”

“Yes.”

“With Luca?”

“Yes.”

Luca froze.

Elena’s face tightened.

Victor continued.

“I told Antonio that if he exposed me, Luca would inherit every investigation attached to his name.”

Serena whispered:

“I had never heard that part until last month.”

Luca stared at the laptop.

Elena asked on the recording:

“Was it true?”

Victor answered:

“Enough of it.”

Luca closed his eyes.

His father’s shell companies.

His name.

His future.

All tied together.

The recording continued.

Elena said:

“You used Luca as a shield.”

Victor answered:

“So did Antonio.”

Silence.

Luca opened his eyes.

Elena looked ashamed.

“My father did too.”

“Yes.”

The recording continued.

Victor said:

“Antonio came to me because he knew I had copies.”

“He wanted them destroyed.”

“And you?”

“I made him pay.”

Serena whispered:

“That’s why our family businesses expanded.”

Luca looked at her.

“With my father’s money.”

“With hidden money connected to both families.”

Elena nodded.

Luca asked:

“How much?”

Serena shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

Elena did.

“About forty million at the time.”

Silence.

Luca stared.

Ruth sat down slowly.

The recording continued.

Elena asked:

“What happens if Luca marries Serena?”

Victor paused.

Then:

“Eventually, the accounts become easier to combine.”

Luca’s face changed.

Serena whispered:

“I didn’t know.”

He stared at her.

“I believe you.”

She almost cried from relief.

He continued.

“But you knew enough.”

Her face fell.

“Yes.”

The recording ended.

Luca looked at the ring in Serena’s hand.

“Why bring that?”

She looked down.

“Because I don’t think I should be wearing it tonight.”

Elena looked away.

Luca said nothing.

Serena continued.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

“I also lied to you.”

“Yes.”

“I told your mother you were happy.”

“Yes.”

“I told her you didn’t want old scandals.”

“Yes.”

“I told myself I was protecting you from a disaster before our wedding.”

Luca stared.

“And?”

“I was protecting myself from losing you.”

Silence.

“That’s the truth.”

Luca nodded.

“Good.”

She began crying.

He looked at the ring.

“Keep it.”

Serena looked up.

“For now.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not making another permanent decision tonight.”

She nodded.

That hurt.

But she understood.

Elena pushed the brass key toward Luca.

“The archive.”

He took it.

Serena wiped her eyes.

“My father knows about the basement.”

Elena froze.

“What?”

“He sent someone there yesterday.”

Luca turned.

“Who?”

“My brother.”

Silence.

Luca frowned.

“Julian?”

Serena nodded.

Julian Voss.

Thirty-seven.

Victor’s son.

Chief counsel for Voss Holdings.

Luca stared.

“What was he looking for?”

“The box.”

Elena stood.

“Did he find it?”

“I don’t know.”

Ruth grabbed her coat.

“We go now.”

Luca looked at Serena.

“Why did you wait until tonight to tell me?”

She swallowed.

“Because Julian promised me he would only confirm whether the evidence existed.”

Elena laughed bitterly.

“And you believed him.”

Serena’s eyes filled.

“Yes.”

Luca picked up the book.

Then the key.

Then the flash drive.

“Good.”

Serena stared.

“Good?”

“No.”

He looked at her.

“Good that we finally know what everyone chose.”

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Then he opened the door.

“Now we find out what is still left.”