Chapter 7 - The Account Matteo Never Closed

Luca stared at Matteo.

"Master account."

Matteo nodded.

"Your grandfather created it."

"Dirty money?"

"Some."

"How much?"

"Last time I knew?"

A pause.

"Forty million."

Silence.

James sat down.

Rosalie stared at Luca.

George looked sick.

Luca asked:

"Whose name?"

Matteo hesitated.

Luca's face hardened.

"Mine."

"No."

"Whose?"

Matteo looked at George.

The old manager closed his eyes.

Luca turned.

"George."

George whispered:

"Emma Blake."

Silence.

I froze.

"What?"

Luca looked at me.

Matteo continued:

"Not you personally."

I stared.

"Then who?"

"Your mother."

My face changed.

"Her name was Emma Blake too."

I had been named after her.

She died when I was three.

At least that was what I had been told.

I looked at Matteo.

"Why is my mother's name on a Vescari account?"

George spoke.

"She worked here."

I stared.

"My mother was a nurse."

"Later."

George continued:

"Before you were born, she worked as Sofia's personal assistant."

The room went silent.

Luca looked at me.

I could barely breathe.

Matteo said:

"She discovered the Zurich account."

"When?"

"Twenty-nine years ago."

Before Luca was born.

Before me.

I asked:

"What happened?"

Matteo looked ashamed.

"My father paid her to stay silent."

I laughed in disbelief.

"Did she?"

"No."

George answered.

"She copied records."

I looked at him.

"You knew my mother."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

George's face broke.

"Because she asked me not to."

Of course.

Another promise.

Another silence.

Luca said:

"Why is the account in her name?"

Matteo answered:

"Vittorio moved it there to frame her."

I stared.

"Frame her for what?"

"Embezzlement."

My stomach dropped.

George continued:

"She threatened to go to authorities."

"So he made it look like she stole the money."

"Yes."

"What did she do?"

"She ran."

I stared.

"My mother died when I was three."

George said nothing.

Too long.

I looked at him.

"No."

His eyes filled.

"Emma."

"No."

Luca stepped closer to me.

I looked at George.

"Is my mother alive?"

He nodded.

The room disappeared around me.

"Where?"

"Vermont."

I laughed once.

Then cried.

"Why?"

George whispered:

"Because Vittorio threatened you."

I was three.

The pattern repeated again.

Children used as leverage.

Parents disappearing in the name of protection.

Luca looked furious now.

Not at me.

At all of it.

"Does Carlo know?"

Matteo nodded.

"Yes."

"That is why he is going to Zurich."

George added:

"If he transfers the account before your mother appears, he can bury the original ownership trail."

I stared.

"My mother controls it?"

"No."

Matteo shook his head.

"But her testimony proves it was fraudulent."

Luca looked at me.

"Mia—"

I held up a hand.

"My name is Emma."

He stopped.

I took a breath.

"Right now, I need that."

He nodded.

Fair.

Then I looked at George.

"Do you have her number?"

"Yes."

"Give it to me."

He did.

My hands shook so badly Luca took the phone.

"Do you want me to dial?"

I nodded.

He did.

Then handed it back.

One ring.

Two.

Three.

A woman answered.

"Hello?"

I could not speak.

George whispered:

"Tell her your name."

I stared at him.

Then into the phone.

"My name is Emma Blake."

Silence.

Then a woman began crying.

"My baby."

I closed my eyes.

Luca looked away.

For the first time that night, the secret was not his.

It was mine.

I asked:

"Are you my mother?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come back?"

"I tried."

Of course she did.

I almost laughed.

Then she said:

"George told me tonight that Carlo was moving."

I looked at him.

"You knew."

George nodded.

My mother continued:

"I have the Zurich account documents."

Matteo stepped closer.

"Originals?"

She heard him.

"Matteo?"

He froze.

"Emma."

She laughed bitterly.

"Still alive."

He lowered his eyes.

"So are you."

She answered:

"Barely some days."

Then she said:

"Carlo is not going to Zurich for the money."

Luca frowned.

"What?"

My mother continued:

"He's going for the account owner."

Everyone went still.

Luca asked:

"Who?"

She answered:

"Sofia Vescari."

Matteo went white.

Luca stared.

"My mother died two years ago."

My mother whispered:

"No."

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Silence.

"She is alive."