Chapter 4 - The Engagement Adrian Dane Designed

Luca did not shout.

That made it worse.

He stood in Anna's apartment.

Black tuxedo.

Lion tattoo visible.

Hands at his sides.

He looked at Victoria.

"Explain."

She wiped her face.

"My father wanted us married."

"I know that now."

"No."

She shook her head.

"He wanted it before we were even together."

Luca stared.

"How long?"

"Eight years."

James looked down.

Marco swore quietly.

Luca's voice became colder.

"You met me six years ago."

"Publicly."

Luca stopped.

Victoria continued:

"I saw you before that."

"When?"

"At my father's house."

Luca frowned.

"I've never been there."

"You were."

"No."

"You were unconscious."

Silence.

Luca's face changed.

Anna looked at Marco.

Marco whispered:

"Twenty."

Victoria nodded.

Luca turned.

"What happened when I was twenty?"

No one answered fast enough.

He looked at James.

"You knew."

James closed his eyes.

"Yes."

Luca stepped toward him.

"What happened?"

James said:

"You overdosed."

Luca stared.

"I have never used drugs."

"I know."

"Then what are you saying?"

James looked at Adrian's daughter.

Victoria whispered:

"You were drugged."

The room went still.

Luca laughed once.

Then stopped.

"By who?"

"My father says he didn't order it."

"That is not an answer."

Victoria swallowed.

"One of his men."

Luca looked at Marco.

"You were already gone."

"Yes."

"Mom was gone."

"Yes."

"And I was alone."

Marco's face broke.

Luca turned back to Victoria.

"Where was I found?"

"Outside a club."

"I remember that."

"You were taken to a private doctor."

"I remember waking in a clinic."

Victoria nodded.

"The clinic belonged to one of my father's companies."

Luca stared.

"And you were there."

"I was seventeen."

"Why?"

"My father brought me."

"To look at me?"

Victoria closed her eyes.

"Yes."

Luca stepped away.

Anna looked sick.

Victoria continued:

"He said you were going to become important."

Luca laughed bitterly.

"I was unconscious."

"He told me one day I might marry you."

Marco hit the table with his palm.

"Damn him."

Luca turned.

"You don't get to be angry first."

Marco stopped.

Luca looked at Victoria.

"Did your father drug me to control me?"

"I don't know."

"Did he?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know."

James spoke.

"I do."

Everyone turned.

The old butler looked at Luca.

"The man who drugged you was Victor Salvi."

Luca frowned.

"He worked for my father."

Marco stared.

"Victor?"

James nodded.

"After you disappeared, he worked for Adrian."

Marco went pale.

Luca looked between them.

"So which one ordered it?"

James replied:

"Neither."

Silence.

Luca's eyes narrowed.

"Then why?"

"Victor was stealing from both families."

Marco whispered:

"The Zurich account."

James nodded.

"He thought Luca had access."

Luca laughed.

"At twenty?"

"Your signature did."

Luca's smile disappeared.

James continued:

"Victor drugged you to get your thumbprint and signatures on transfer documents."

Victoria covered her mouth.

Luca asked:

"How do you know?"

"Because I found the originals."

"When?"

"Seven months ago."

Luca stared at him.

"The same time you disappeared."

"Yes."

James looked at Marco.

"That's why he called me to Spain."

Marco continued:

"I had spent years trying to prove Adrian ordered the attack."

"And?"

"I was wrong."

Luca looked surprised.

Marco said:

"Adrian found out after it happened."

Victoria whispered:

"And he covered it up."

James nodded.

"Yes."

Luca looked at her.

Victoria's face crumpled.

"My father used it."

"How?"

"He bought Victor's silence."

James added:

"And kept the forged transfer."

Luca understood.

"Leverage."

"Yes."

Marco looked at his son.

"If I came home, Adrian could make it appear that you stole from the network."

Luca stared.

"So you disappeared to protect me from a crime I didn't commit."

Marco nodded.

"And left me alone with the man blackmailing you."

The truth hit Marco hard.

"I thought distance protected you."

Luca's voice broke.

"You were wrong."

Marco nodded.

"I know."

Anna stepped closer.

"Luca—"

He held up a hand.

"Not yet."

Then he looked at Victoria.

"And the engagement?"

She took a breath.

"After Victor died, my father kept the documents."

"When?"

"Three years ago."

"Natural death?"

"Yes."

James nodded.

"Verified."

Victoria continued:

"My father decided marriage was safer than blackmail."

Luca frowned.

"Safer for who?"

"Him."

She looked ashamed.

"If the Ferraro and Dane assets merged, the old transfers could be buried inside shared holdings."

Marco whispered:

"He wanted to erase the line between the families."

Luca stared at Victoria.

"Did you date me because he told you to?"

"No."

"Did you meet me because he arranged it?"

"Yes."

"Did you know?"

"Yes."

Luca stepped back.

There it was.

The answer that mattered.

Victoria cried.

"I was twenty-seven."

"You knew."

"Yes."

"And you still walked into my life."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"At first?"

She looked at the floor.

"Because I was afraid of him."

"And after?"

She looked at Luca.

"Because I loved you."

He said nothing.

Victoria continued:

"I tried to leave you twice."

Luca frowned.

"When?"

"After our first anniversary."

He remembered.

Three days of silence.

A sudden trip.

Then she returned.

"And last winter."

He remembered that too.

"You said you needed space."

"I was trying to disappear."

"Why didn't you?"

"My father showed me the forged documents."

Luca's face hardened.

"He threatened you with them."

"He said if I left, he would give them to prosecutors and tell them you had spent years laundering the money."

Marco closed his eyes.

Victoria continued:

"I believed he could destroy you."

Luca whispered:

"So you stayed."

"Yes."

"And didn't tell me."

"No."

Anna looked at Victoria.

"Your mother did the same thing."

Victoria turned.

"What?"

Anna continued:

"Helen believed silence protected her children."

Victoria's eyes filled.

Anna said:

"It protected Adrian."

That landed.

Victoria looked at Luca.

"I know."

Luca did not answer.

Marco said:

"The box at the villa contains Helen's proof."

Luca looked at him.

"Proof of what?"

"That Adrian covered up the attack."

James added:

"And proof of what he did to Anna."

Luca took the brass key.

"Then we're done talking without documents."

Anna reached for her coat.

Marco did too.

Luca looked at Victoria.

She expected him to tell her to stay.

Instead he said:

"You open the box."

"Why me?"

"Because your mother left the key to you."

He walked toward the door.

Then stopped.

"And Victoria?"

She looked at him.

"If there's one more thing you know, tell me before we reach that villa."

She hesitated.

Luca saw it.

His face changed.

"There is."

Victoria began crying again.

"Yes."

"What?"

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She whispered:

"My father is already in Rome."