Chapter 6 - The Night Rosalie Met Sofia Vescari

Rosalie stopped breathing.

Luca turned slowly.

"You met my mother."

She cried immediately.

"Yes."

Matteo stared at her.

"When?"

"Nine years ago."

George looked shocked.

Even James did.

Rosalie's father whispered:

"You never told me."

"No."

Luca's voice stayed quiet.

"Tell me."

Rosalie sat.

Her hands shook.

"I was twenty-five."

"You and I were already together."

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Almost a year."

Luca stared.

"She came here."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To see you."

The room went still.

Luca looked at the photograph again.

"Then why didn't she?"

Rosalie cried.

"Because I stopped her."

Silence.

Luca's face emptied.

Matteo whispered:

"Oh God."

Rosalie continued.

"She approached me near the garden gate."

"How did she know who you were?"

"She had photographs."

"From who?"

"George."

George froze.

Luca looked at him.

The old manager lowered his head.

"I sent Sofia updates."

Luca said nothing.

Rosalie continued:

"She told me she was your mother."

"Did you believe her?"

"Not at first."

"Then?"

"She showed me letters."

"Photographs."

"Your birth certificate."

Luca's jaw tightened.

"And you still stopped her."

Rosalie nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Carlo had just told me your father was alive too."

Matteo frowned.

"What?"

Rosalie continued:

"He said both your parents were coming back to take control."

Luca laughed bitterly.

"And you believed him."

"I believed part of it."

"What part?"

"That if they returned, everything you had built would be taken from you."

Luca stared at her.

"So you chose my company over my mother."

"No."

Her voice broke.

"I thought I was choosing you."

"Do not make that sentence do more work than it can."

Rosalie cried harder.

"I know."

Luca asked:

"What did you tell her?"

Rosalie could barely speak.

"That you hated being reminded of the past."

He closed his eyes.

She continued.

"I told her you had finally moved on."

Luca opened his eyes.

"Exactly what Carlo needed."

"Yes."

"Did she ask you to give me anything?"

Rosalie nodded.

"A letter."

"Where is it?"

Silence.

Luca stared.

"Rosalie."

"I kept it."

"For nine years."

"Yes."

James stood.

"Where?"

"In my mother's jewelry box."

Luca looked at George.

The old man appeared devastated.

"I did not know."

Rosalie said:

"I tried to destroy it once."

Luca's face hardened.

"Did you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I loved you."

He laughed without humor.

"You keep using that word beside things love should not do."

Rosalie lowered her head.

Luca looked at Matteo.

"Did Mom tell you she came?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Matteo looked broken.

"I don't know."

George whispered:

"Maybe because Sofia knew he would stop her again."

Matteo closed his eyes.

That landed.

Luca looked at Rosalie.

"Get the letter."

She left.

No one spoke.

When she returned, she carried a small velvet box.

Inside:

An envelope.

LUCA.

Sofia's handwriting.

He opened it.

Son,

I am outside the house where you sleep.

I have been told that seeing me would destroy the life you built.

I do not know whether that is true.

I no longer know which warnings are love and which are fear.

Rosalie says you are happy.

If that is true, I will leave.

Luca stopped reading.

His hands trembled.

Then continued.

But if she is wrong, I hope one day you forgive me for believing her.

I have already spent too many years believing other people knew what was best for you.

Mom.

Luca lowered the letter.

No one spoke.

Rosalie whispered:

"I'm sorry."

He looked at her.

"You don't get to ask me for anything right now."

"I know."

He put the letter on the table.

Then turned to George.

"You sent Mom photographs."

"Yes."

"Why not tell me?"

"I promised Matteo."

Luca laughed softly.

George lowered his eyes.

"I know."

Luca looked at every person in the room.

Father.

Fiancée.

Her father.

House manager.

Every one of them had loved him.

Every one had hidden something.

Then the door opened.

A detective stepped inside.

"Luca."

He turned.

"We found something in Carlo's office."

"What?"

"A second set of restructuring papers."

Luca frowned.

"Different from mine?"

"Yes."

The detective handed him a copy.

Beneficiary after transfer:

ROSALIE CRANE.

The room went silent.

Rosalie stared.

"No."

Luca looked at her.

Her face was genuine shock.

James stepped forward.

"Let me see."

He read.

Went pale.

Rosalie whispered:

"Dad?"

James looked at her.

"I never saw this."

Luca studied the document.

If he had signed tonight, Carlo's board would control the companies temporarily.

Then, upon Luca's marriage to Rosalie, a portion would transfer into a marital trust.

Controlled by Rosalie.

Luca looked at Carlo's signature.

Then at James's.

Again.

James whispered:

"That isn't mine."

George leaned closer.

"Forged."

Luca nodded.

For once, James might be telling the truth.

Then the detective said:

"There is more."

Luca looked up.

"Carlo booked a flight."

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"To where?"

"Zurich."

Matteo's face changed.

Luca noticed.

"What is in Zurich?"

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His father whispered:

"The master account."