Chapter 2 - The Man Vanessa Owed

Luca did not ask Emma to repeat herself.

He had heard every word.

“She said she had a debt you didn’t know about—and if the man she owed contacted you before Saturday, there wouldn’t be a wedding.”

The cellar seemed to become smaller.

Luca looked at the auction stickers.

Then at Emma.

“Did she say his name?”

Emma shook her head.

“No, sir.”

“Anything else?”

“She told Mr. Keller she needed one hundred and fifty thousand by Friday.”

Luca looked at the inventory.

One hundred eighty-six thousand.

Enough to cover the debt.

And leave very little.

“What kind of debt?”

“I don’t know.”

Emma swallowed.

“But Mr. Keller asked whether she was in trouble.”

“And?”

“She said, ‘Not if he gets paid.’”

Luca’s expression hardened.

His phone rang.

Vanessa.

He let it ring.

Emma looked nervous.

“Shouldn’t you answer?”

“No.”

He called someone else.

“Daniel.”

His head of security answered immediately.

“Yes?”

“Lock the estate.”

A pause.

“Sir?”

“No guests leave without being logged.”

“Understood.”

“And find every camera angle near the wine cellar between three-thirty and five.”

“I’m on it.”

Luca ended the call.

Emma shifted her weight.

“Mr. Moretti, I’m sorry.”

He looked at her.

“For what?”

“I should have told you earlier.”

“You were scared.”

She nodded.

“That does not make you responsible for what she did.”

Emma looked down.

The words seemed to surprise her.

Luca walked toward the cellar door.

Then stopped.

“Did Vanessa say anything after you hit the table?”

Emma’s face changed.

“Yes.”

“What?”

“She said if I told you what I heard, I’d be blamed for stealing from the house.”

Luca’s eyes went cold.

“She threatened you.”

“Yes.”

“Anything else?”

Emma hesitated.

“She said the man she owed was not someone you could threaten.”

Luca almost smiled.

Not because it was funny.

Because men had been saying versions of that sentence to him since he was twenty.

“Everyone can be threatened,” he said quietly.

Emma looked at him.

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Luca paused.

“What do you mean?”

“If he’s dangerous enough that Vanessa is selling your family’s wine two days before the wedding…”

She swallowed.

“…what happens when he finds out you know?”

Luca looked at the cellar.

At his father’s handwriting on the bottles.

Then at the bruise on Emma’s jaw.

“He already made one mistake.”

“What?”

“He let someone innocent get hurt before I knew his name.”

Upstairs, Vanessa called again.

This time Luca answered.

“Where are you?”

Her voice sounded normal.

“Upstairs. Why?”

“I’m in the cellar.”

Silence.

Only half a second.

But enough.

Then Vanessa laughed softly.

“Why?”

“Looking at the Barolo.”

Another silence.

Luca’s expression changed.

“The one Emma supposedly came down for.”

Vanessa said nothing.

Luca continued.

“Come downstairs.”

“Luca—”

“Now.”

He ended the call.

Emma stepped back.

“I should go.”

“No.”

Her eyes widened.

“You’re staying.”

“Why?”

“Because she already tried to control the story once.”

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Luca looked toward the cellar entrance.

“This time she tells it in front of the person she tried to silence.”