Chapter 2 - The One Person Luca Allowed on the Plane

Luca stared at James.

Then at Victoria.

The ballroom waited.

Nobody moved.

Her father, Adrian Dane, stood beneath the chandelier.

His face was calm.

Too calm.

Luca looked back at James.

"You said they are in Rome."

"Yes."

"My father."

"Yes."

"My mother."

"Yes."

"Alive."

James nodded.

"Alive."

Luca closed his eyes.

For thirteen years, Marco Ferraro had been missing.

For even longer, Luca had believed Anna Ferraro was dead.

Now both were waiting in another country.

Together.

Victoria whispered:

"Luca."

He opened his eyes.

She looked terrified.

"Please let me explain."

He stared at the dark red gown.

At the woman he had planned to marry.

Then at the recorder in his hand.

"How much did you know?"

"I knew my mother married your father."

"How long?"

"Since last year."

"You knew my mother might be alive."

"Yes."

"How long?"

Victoria swallowed.

"Since I found the recording."

Luca's jaw tightened.

"And you said nothing."

"My mother left instructions."

"Your mother is dead."

Victoria flinched.

Luca continued:

"So every day after that, the choice was yours."

She lowered her eyes.

"Yes."

Her father finally spoke.

"Enough."

Luca turned.

Adrian Dane was sixty-one.

Silver hair.

Black tuxedo.

No fear.

He stepped forward.

"This engagement ball has been turned into a circus by a senile servant."

James looked at him.

"Seven months ago you told your men to find me."

Adrian smiled.

"Because you stole from my daughter."

James held up the recorder.

"I stole this."

Adrian's smile disappeared.

Luca noticed.

"What else did he steal?"

Adrian ignored him.

"Luca, your father abandoned you."

James shook his head.

"No."

Adrian looked at him.

James continued:

"Marco disappeared because someone threatened his son."

Luca's eyes went to Adrian.

"Was it you?"

Victoria whispered:

"Dad."

Adrian's expression did not change.

"Your father had enemies."

"That wasn't my question."

Silence.

Luca stepped closer.

"Did you threaten me?"

Adrian smiled slightly.

"If I had, you would remember."

James said:

"He was twenty."

Adrian turned.

James continued:

"He didn't need to remember."

Luca's face changed.

"What happened when I was twenty?"

Nobody answered.

Then Mia—me—saw Victoria look at her father.

Only for a second.

But Luca saw it too.

"You know."

Victoria shook her head.

"I know part of it."

"What part?"

She looked around the ballroom.

"Not here."

Luca laughed once.

"Everything has happened 'not here' for thirteen years."

He removed the engagement ring from her hand.

Not violently.

Slowly.

The room went silent again.

Victoria stared at her empty finger.

Luca put the ring in his pocket.

"The engagement is paused."

Her eyes filled.

"Paused?"

"Until I know whether I proposed to you or to a story your family built around me."

Victoria nodded through tears.

Adrian stepped forward.

"You will regret humiliating my daughter."

Luca looked at him.

"She isn't the person I'm humiliating."

Then he turned to James.

"When do we leave?"

"Marco has a plane waiting."

"Where?"

"Private terminal."

Luca looked at me.

"Mia."

"Yes?"

"Get my passport from the study."

I nodded.

Victoria stepped forward.

"I'm coming."

Luca looked at her.

"No."

Her face fell.

James said quietly:

"She should."

Luca turned.

"Why?"

"Because Anna asked for her."

Victoria froze.

Luca stared at James.

"My mother asked for Victoria?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

James looked at the recorder.

"Because Helen Dane left something behind."

Victoria whispered:

"My mother?"

James nodded.

"Something only you can open."

Adrian's face changed.

Small.

But visible.

Luca saw.

"What did Helen leave?"

James answered:

"A deposit box."

Victoria frowned.

"I don't know about any deposit box."

"Your mother believed you would know how to open it."

"I don't."

Adrian said:

"There is no box."

James looked at him.

"I never said where it was."

Silence.

Luca slowly turned toward Adrian.

"You know."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

James smiled sadly.

"Thank you."

Adrian realized too late.

Luca looked at his security chief.

"Mr. Dane does not enter my office."

Adrian laughed.

"You think you can keep me here?"

"No."

Luca shook his head.

"You can leave."

Adrian looked surprised.

Luca continued:

"But if anything disappears from this house tonight, I will assume you knew exactly what my parents were about to tell me."

Adrian's eyes hardened.

Then he walked toward the doors.

Victoria called after him.

"Dad."

He stopped.

She took one step forward.

"Did you know Marco was alive?"

Adrian looked at her.

"No."

"Did you know Anna was?"

A pause.

Too long.

Victoria began crying.

Adrian said nothing.

Then left.

Twenty minutes later, I returned with Luca's passport.

He had changed nothing.

Still black tuxedo.

Still open collar.

Still lion tattoo visible beneath it.

Victoria had put on a coat over her red gown.

James held the recorder.

Luca looked at her.

"One question before you get on that plane."

She nodded.

"When you first found the recording, did you ask your father about my mother?"

Victoria's face changed.

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

She swallowed.

"He told me Anna Ferraro was dangerous."

Luca stared.

"My dead mother was dangerous?"

"He said if she ever returned, both families would collapse."

James looked at Luca.

Luca asked:

"And you believed him?"

Victoria whispered:

"For one night."

"What changed?"

"I found something in my mother's desk."

She reached into her purse.

An old brass key.

A small white tag.

ROME.

Luca stared.

James closed his eyes.

"There it is."

Victoria looked at him.

"You knew?"

"I knew Helen had a key."

Luca took it.

"What does it open?"

James replied:

"The box your father was afraid she left behind."

Luca looked at Victoria.

Then at the ballroom where their engagement had ended.

"You're coming."

She exhaled.

"But not as my fiancée."

Her face broke.

Luca continued:

"You're coming as the daughter of the woman who knew why my mother had to disappear."

An hour later, we were in the air.

James sat across from Luca.

Victoria beside the window.

I had no idea why Luca had told me to come.

I asked him.

He looked at me.

"Because you were standing beside James when everyone else wanted him removed."

"That's all?"

"Tonight?"

He looked toward the recorder.

"That's enough."

Halfway across the Atlantic, James fell asleep.

Victoria did not.

Neither did Luca.

At 3:12 a.m., her phone vibrated.

She looked at the screen.

Then went pale.

Luca noticed.

"Who is it?"

Victoria handed him the phone.

One message.

From her father.

DO NOT OPEN HELEN'S BOX.

Luca read it twice.

May you like

[COMPLETED] “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DRESS! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT AN OLD SEAM...

[COMPLETED] At the Mafia Boss's Engagement Party, I Served His Hungry So...

[COMPLETED] The Mafia Boss’s Fiancée Tried to Dismiss His Father’s Loyal...

Then looked at Victoria.

"Now I know what we do first."