Chapter 9 - Serena Finally Told Luca the Last Thing She Had Hidden

Serena was waiting at Reese’s house.

Elena beside her.

Luca entered.

No greeting.

No coat removed.

He placed Kessler’s note on the table.

Serena read it.

Her face changed.

Luca saw.

“You know.”

She closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

Elena looked at her.

“What?”

Serena started crying.

Luca’s voice was quiet.

“Who did Victor meet the night my father died?”

She looked at him.

“My mother.”

Silence.

Luca frowned.

“Your mother?”

Serena nodded.

“Celeste Voss.”

Julian stared.

“Our mother was in Europe.”

“No.”

“She told us she was.”

Luca waited.

Serena continued.

“I found out six months ago.”

“The same time you found out Elena was alive.”

“Yes.”

“What did your mother do?”

Serena wiped her eyes.

“She met Antonio.”

Elena went still.

“Why?”

“Because she knew Victor had sent Kessler.”

Luca stared.

“And?”

“She tried to warn Antonio.”

“That sounds helpful.”

Serena looked at him.

“It was.”

“Then what are you hiding?”

She swallowed.

“My mother switched the medication.”

Silence.

Nobody moved.

Luca’s face became still.

“What medication?”

“Kessler had prepared a sedative.”

“And your mother?”

“She replaced it.”

“With what?”

Serena cried harder.

“She said something harmless.”

Reese spoke quietly.

“But Antonio died.”

“Yes.”

Julian stared at his sister.

“How do you know this?”

“Mom told me.”

“When?”

“Six months ago.”

Luca laughed once.

No humor.

“Of course.”

Serena looked at him.

“I didn’t know whether she caused his death.”

“So you hid it.”

“Yes.”

“Did you investigate?”

“Yes.”

“With who?”

“My father.”

Elena closed her eyes.

Luca stared.

“You asked Victor to investigate his own wife.”

Serena nodded.

“Yes.”

“And what did he tell you?”

“That Mom made a mistake.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

Reese asked:

“Where is Celeste?”

Serena whispered:

“Switzerland.”

Julian shook his head.

“No.”

Everyone turned.

He pulled out his phone.

“I found a travel record in Dad’s files.”

“Mom came back last week.”

Serena stared.

“What?”

“She’s here.”

“Where?”

Julian looked at the screen.

“Voss lake house.”

Elena stood.

“We go.”

Luca raised a hand.

“No.”

Everyone stopped.

He looked at Serena.

“You and I go.”

She stared.

“Why?”

“Because you hid this.”

Her eyes filled.

“And because she is your mother.”

Serena nodded.

This time she did not argue.

The lake house was an hour away.

Celeste Voss opened the door herself.

Sixty-one.

Elegant.

Pale.

Serena whispered:

“Mom.”

Celeste looked at Luca.

“You know.”

“Yes.”

She stepped aside.

They entered.

Luca did not sit.

“Did you kill my father?”

Celeste closed her eyes.

“No.”

“Did you change his medication?”

“Yes.”

“What did you put in it?”

“Saline.”

Serena stared.

“Saline?”

“Yes.”

“Kessler’s sedative would have knocked Antonio unconscious for hours.”

Luca frowned.

“Why replace it?”

“To help him leave.”

“Then how did he die?”

Celeste looked at Serena.

“I have been trying to answer that for five years.”

Luca stared.

“You knew he died.”

“Yes.”

“You knew Kessler disappeared.”

“Yes.”

“You knew Victor was involved.”

“Yes.”

“And you left.”

Celeste nodded.

“Yes.”

Serena whispered:

“Why?”

“Because Victor told me if I spoke, Julian would go to prison.”

Julian was not there.

But his name filled the room.

Luca asked:

“For what?”

“Financial signatures.”

Serena looked sick.

“He used Julian too.”

“Yes.”

Celeste continued.

“I believed him.”

Luca laughed bitterly.

“Everyone did.”

Celeste opened a safe.

Inside was Antonio’s autopsy report.

Original.

Not the public one.

Cause of death:

DIGOXIN TOXICITY.

Luca stared.

“Heart medication.”

“Yes.”

“Kessler?”

“No.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Kessler did not have access to it.”

“Who did?”

Celeste looked at the report.

“Victor.”

Serena covered her mouth.

Luca’s face hardened.

“So he told Kessler to frighten Dad.”

“Yes.”

“You switched the sedative.”

“Yes.”

“And Victor poisoned him separately.”

Celeste nodded.

“I believe so.”

“Believe?”

“I never saw him do it.”

Luca looked at her.

“Then what proof do you have?”

Celeste took out one final item.

A pharmacy receipt.

Victor Voss.

Digoxin.

Purchased two days before Antonio died.

Serena stared.

“My father.”

Celeste nodded.

Luca looked at the receipt.

Then at Serena.

She whispered:

“I didn’t know this.”

He believed her.

Again.

But this time she had finally brought the last hidden truth into the room.

Luca folded the receipt.

“Will you testify?”

Celeste stared at Serena.

Then Luca.

“Yes.”

Serena began crying.

Celeste reached for her.

Serena stepped back.

Not yet.

Luca understood.

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Some truths opened doors.

Others showed how long they had been locked.