Chapter 6 - Lydia Finally Told Matteo Why She Stayed

Matteo did not reach for a weapon.

I saw Vincent notice.

So did Graham.

That mattered.

The cars remained outside.

Doors opened.

Men stepped onto the gravel.

Lydia moved toward the window.

“That’s my father’s car.”

Matteo looked at her.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Vincent stood.

Graham stopped him.

“You’re weak.”

“I’ve been weak for twelve years.”

“That doesn’t make walking outside wise.”

Vincent looked at Matteo.

“No one is walking outside.”

Matteo nodded.

“Good.”

Lydia stared at him.

“You have a plan?”

“No.”

“That’s comforting.”

For the first time that night, Matteo almost smiled.

Then his face changed again.

“Tell me about the photographs.”

Lydia looked toward the door.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“My father is outside.”

“That’s exactly why.”

She stared at him.

Matteo lowered his voice.

“If I’m going to stand in front of him, I need to know which parts of my life were real.”

Lydia’s eyes filled.

Vincent moved away.

Graham did too.

I tried.

Matteo stopped me.

“Anna stays.”

Lydia gave a small, sad laugh.

“Of course she does.”

Then she looked at him.

“My father showed me photographs after I tried to help Vincent.”

“How many?”

“Dozens.”

“Of me?”

“Yes.”

“Inside my house?”

“Yes.”

Matteo’s expression did not move.

“Who took them?”

“I don’t know.”

“Was that why you approached me?”

Lydia took a long breath.

“At first.”

Vincent closed his eyes.

Matteo stared at her.

“Say it clearly.”

“My father told me to meet you.”

“Why?”

“To make sure you never reopened the trust.”

“And I thought we met by accident.”

“I know.”

“The charity dinner?”

“Not an accident.”

“The table?”

“Chosen.”

“The woman who introduced us?”

“My father knew her.”

Matteo looked toward the floor.

Each answer removed another piece of his memory.

I hated Lydia for that.

Then she said something I did not expect.

“The second dinner was an accident.”

Matteo looked up.

“What?”

“You called me.”

“Yes.”

“My father told me not to go.”

Silence.

“I went anyway.”

“Why?”

“Because I liked you.”

“That simple?”

“No.”

She laughed through tears.

“Nothing after that was simple.”

Matteo said nothing.

Lydia continued.

“I was supposed to keep you distracted. Happy. Away from old Vale business.”

“That sounds very romantic.”

“I know.”

“And the engagement?”

“My father hated it.”

That surprised him.

“He told you not to marry me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because marriage gave me access.”

Graham turned slightly.

“To what?”

Lydia looked at him.

“Matteo’s trust records.”

Graham’s expression changed.

“You started checking.”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Eight months ago.”

Matteo stared.

“You were investigating your father while sleeping beside me.”

“Yes.”

“You were lying to both of us.”

“Yes.”

The honesty was brutal.

Maybe that was why Matteo finally believed it.

Lydia opened her purse.

She removed her engagement ring.

Then placed it on the chessboard beside the flash drive.

“I said yes because I loved you.”

Matteo’s face tightened.

“I also said yes because I thought marrying you might finally give me enough access to finish what I started.”

He looked at the ring.

“So which mattered more?”

“I don’t know.”

That answer hurt more than if she had lied.

Lydia stepped closer.

“I loved you badly.”

Matteo looked at her.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I kept deciding what truths you could survive.”

Vincent looked down.

Lydia’s voice broke.

“I told myself I was protecting you.”

Matteo whispered, “You were protecting yourself.”

“Yes.”

No argument.

No excuse.

Just yes.

Outside, someone knocked.

Three slow knocks.

Charles.

Lydia went still.

Her father’s voice came through the door.

“Lydia.”

She closed her eyes.

He knocked again.

“I know you’re in there.”

Matteo moved toward the foyer.

Vincent stopped him.

“Wait.”

“What?”

Vincent pointed to the flash drive.

“He doesn’t know we have it.”

Graham understood.

“And he doesn’t know how much Lydia has.”

Charles called again.

“Open the door.”

Lydia looked at Matteo.

“What do you want me to do?”

He stared at her for several seconds.

Then asked one question.

“If I open that door, are you standing with him or with us?”

She looked at her father’s shadow through the glass.

Then at Vincent.

Then at Matteo.

“For the first time in my life?”

“Yes.”

“With you.”

Matteo nodded.

“Then prove it.”

He opened the door.

Charles Maren stood outside in a dark overcoat.

Sixty-one.

Silver hair.

No visible fear.

Two men behind him.

He looked first at Matteo.

Then Vincent.

For the first time that night, Charles lost control of his face.

Only for a second.

But I saw it.

Vincent did too.

Charles looked at his daughter.

“Come outside.”

Lydia did not move.

“Now.”

“No.”

Charles stared.

Matteo stepped aside.

Not in front of her.

Beside her.

Charles noticed.

His voice hardened.

“This has nothing to do with you, Matteo.”

Matteo laughed softly.

“My father is standing ten feet behind me.”

Charles looked at Vincent.

“Vincent is unwell.”

Vincent answered.

“Still using that one?”

Charles ignored him.

“Lydia.”

She stayed where she was.

Charles took one step forward.

Matteo did not move.

Neither did I.

Then Lydia said the sentence I think changed everything.

Not because it was dramatic.

Because she finally chose it herself.

“Dad, Mom never signed those companies.”

Charles stopped.

Graham’s eyes sharpened.

Lydia continued.

“I have the originals.”

For the first time, Charles Maren looked afraid.

Not of Matteo.

Not of Vincent.

Of his own daughter.

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And when he spoke again, his voice was very quiet.

“You have no idea what you just did.”