Chapter 4 - The Father Vanessa Was Trying to Protect

Anthony Bellini entered alone.

No lawyer.

No security.

He looked like Vanessa.

Same eyes.

Same mouth.

Just older.

He saw Luca.

Then the chipped plate.

His face changed.

"I haven't seen that in years."

Luca stared.

"You've seen it before."

Anthony nodded.

"At your mother's house."

Vanessa whispered:

"Dad."

He looked at her.

"I'm done."

Then at Luca.

"I cut the brake line."

No excuse.

The room went silent.

Luca's face hardened.

"Why?"

"I was seventeen."

"Not an answer."

Anthony nodded.

"Marco paid me."

"To do what?"

"Watch Lucia."

"Then?"

"She found out."

"How?"

"I told her."

Luca frowned.

"You confessed."

"I was scared."

Anthony continued:

"She said she was leaving that night."

"I told Marco."

"He told me to stop the car."

"How?"

"He said make it unusable."

"So you cut the brake line."

"I thought the car would stay parked."

Luca stared.

"Why cut brakes instead of tires?"

Anthony looked ashamed.

"Because I was stupid."

Luca said nothing.

Anthony continued:

"I cut one line."

"I thought she would see fluid."

"She didn't."

Arthur closed his eyes.

Anthony's voice broke.

"She drove."

Luca asked:

"Did you watch her leave?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I followed."

"Why?"

"I panicked."

The crash happened six miles away.

Anthony reached it first.

Arthur arrived minutes later.

Then police.

Luca looked at both men.

"Did you tell police?"

Anthony shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Marco arrived before they finished."

Teresa froze.

Luca looked at her.

"Father came to the crash."

Anthony nodded.

"He looked at me."

"And?"

"He said if I spoke, my father would go to prison too."

Arthur stared.

"Me?"

Anthony looked at him.

"Marco knew you had given Lucia money."

"That wasn't a crime."

"No."

"But he had documents making it look like laundering."

Arthur closed his eyes.

Luca laughed bitterly.

"Of course he did."

Anthony continued:

"Marco told me Lucia's death was my fault."

"Was he wrong?"

Anthony cried.

"No."

Luca did not soften.

Anthony continued:

"He used it to control me for years."

"How?"

"Property deals."

"Shell companies."

"Cash."

Vanessa looked at her father.

"You worked for Marco."

"For nine years."

"After Lucia died."

"Yes."

Luca asked:

"Did you ever try to confess?"

"Twice."

"What stopped you?"

"Your father."

"Then after he died?"

"Your uncle Dominic Moretti."

Luca frowned.

"My uncle Dominic."

Different Dominic from his security chief.

A family uncle.

Dead six years.

Anthony nodded.

"He had the same files."

Teresa whispered:

"Marco gave them to him."

Anthony said:

"Yes."

Luca looked at Vanessa.

"How much did you know before we got engaged?"

"Nothing."

"How much before tonight?"

She cried.

"Everything about my father."

"For three months."

"Yes."

"And Arthur?"

"Almost a year."

Luca nodded.

"So you learned my mother died because your father cut her brakes."

"Yes."

"You learned your grandfather helped her escape."

"Yes."

"You learned my father had abused her."

"Yes."

"And you decided the problem tonight was a chipped plate."

Vanessa closed her eyes.

That hurt.

Because it was true.

She whispered:

"I wanted one night where our families weren't in the room."

Luca looked at the plate.

"They were already at the table."

Silence.

Anthony stepped forward.

"Luca."

"No."

Luca looked at him.

"You do not get to ask me to protect Vanessa from this."

Anthony stopped.

"I wasn't."

"Good."

Then Anthony reached into his coat.

A sealed envelope.

"Lucia gave this to me at the crash."

Teresa stood.

"What?"

Anthony continued:

"She was conscious for several minutes."

Luca froze.

"My mother spoke to you."

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

Anthony's eyes filled.

"She knew I had touched the car."

Luca stared.

"How?"

"She saw me near it earlier."

"And?"

"She asked me if Marco told me to do it."

"What did you say?"

"I said yes."

Luca's hands tightened.

Anthony continued:

"She gave me this."

The envelope.

LUCA.

Luca did not take it.

Not immediately.

"Twenty-six years."

Anthony nodded.

"I know."

"You had a letter from my dying mother for twenty-six years."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you give it to me?"

Anthony looked at Vanessa.

Then Arthur.

Then Teresa.

Finally Luca.

"Because I was a coward."

No protection.

No excuse.

Just the word.

Coward.

Luca took the envelope.

Inside:

One page.

Son,

If you ever read this, know that I was trying to come back for you.

Luca stopped breathing.

Teresa began crying.

He continued.

Do not let your father teach you that love means ownership.

Do not let my leaving teach you that love means abandonment.

I am trying to survive long enough to come home.

Luca lowered the page.

The rest had blood stains.

He read the final line.

And if I fail, please remember Sunday dinner.

Remember the chipped plate.

Remember that ordinary things can hold more love than expensive ones ever will.

Luca looked at the plate.

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Then sat down.

For the first time that night, he cried.