Chapter 5 - Celeste Knew the Dead Uncle

Luca called Celeste again.

No answer.

Again.

Nothing.

He drove back to the estate first.

The ballroom was nearly empty.

Celeste was gone.

Her father was gone.

Security footage showed her leaving through the garden doors.

Twenty minutes after Luca left.

With Marco.

Luca stared at the screen.

“Together.”

The guard nodded.

“She went willingly.”

Luca’s face became still.

Sofia had followed despite his order.

She stood behind him.

“Marco knows Celeste.”

Luca turned.

“How?”

Sofia looked ashamed.

“I introduced them.”

His eyes hardened.

“When?”

“Eight months ago.”

“The same month Celeste found you.”

“Yes.”

Luca laughed quietly.

“So she did not find you.”

“No.”

“You arranged it.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because Marco asked me to.”

Luca stared.

“Why did Marco want Celeste?”

“To learn what Arthur had told her.”

“And you agreed.”

“Yes.”

Luca looked at Sofia for a long moment.

“You all keep using her.”

Sofia lowered her eyes.

“I know.”

Luca turned back to the footage.

Celeste hugged Marco.

Not like a stranger.

Not like family either.

Like someone she trusted.

Luca looked at the guard.

“Where did they go?”

“Her phone stopped transmitting near the river.”

The old Vane warehouse.

Luca left immediately.

Sofia came.

This time he did not stop her.

At the warehouse, one door was open.

No guards.

No cars.

Inside, Arthur sat at a wooden table.

Alive.

Marco stood near an old safe.

Celeste stood by the window.

Luca stopped.

She looked at him.

“You came.”

He laughed once.

“That seems to surprise everyone tonight.”

Marco stepped forward.

He looked like Dante.

Enough to make Luca uncomfortable.

Older.

Thinner.

But the same jaw.

The same eyes.

“Luca.”

“Uncle.”

Marco smiled sadly.

“I am sorry we meet like this.”

Luca looked toward Celeste.

“How long have you known him?”

She answered:

“Eight months.”

“Not four.”

“No.”

“You lied again.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

She looked at Marco.

“Because he told me Arthur had been lying.”

Luca looked at her father.

Arthur’s face looked exhausted.

Celeste continued.

“I thought Marco could prove it.”

“Could he?”

“Yes.”

Marco opened the safe.

Inside was a stack of files.

A cassette recorder.

And a sealed envelope.

On the front:

LUCA.

Luca stared.

“My father’s handwriting.”

Sofia stepped closer.

“Yes.”

Marco handed him the envelope.

Luca opened it.

One letter.

Three pages.

He read the first line.

SON, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, THEN SOFIA CAME BACK.

His hand tightened.

Sofia began crying.

Luca kept reading.

I LIED TO YOU ABOUT YOUR MOTHER.

Silence.

He read aloud.

“I told you she left because she wanted another life.”

Sofia covered her mouth.

Luca continued.

“That was false.”

He looked at the next line.

“I threatened her.”

His voice became quieter.

“I took her money.”

Arthur looked away.

“I used Arthur Vane to find her.”

Celeste stared at her father.

Luca continued.

“And when Arthur began asking for more money, I gave him companies instead.”

Arthur closed his eyes.

Luca looked at him.

“So that part is true.”

Arthur nodded.

“Yes.”

Luca kept reading.

“Marco helped her escape.”

Marco said nothing.

Then Luca stopped.

His expression changed.

“What?”

Celeste asked.

He read silently again.

Then looked at Marco.

“My father says you did not save her for free.”

Marco’s face hardened.

Sofia looked confused.

“What does it say?”

Luca read:

“Marco demanded Sofia sign twenty percent of her shares to him before he would arrange the escape.”

Sofia stared at Marco.

“No.”

Marco said nothing.

Sofia stepped toward him.

“You told me the papers were for travel.”

Marco’s jaw tightened.

“You needed documents.”

“You stole my shares.”

“I protected them.”

“You put them in your name.”

“To keep Dante from taking them.”

“Then why never return them?”

Silence.

That was the answer.

Luca looked around the warehouse.

Father.

Uncle.

Arthur.

Every man had taken something from Sofia.

Money.

Shares.

Freedom.

Choices.

Luca continued reading.

The final paragraph:

I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO FORGIVE ME.

BUT IF YOU EVER MEET YOUR MOTHER AGAIN, RETURN WHAT I TOOK.

THE ORIGINAL SHARE CERTIFICATES ARE IN THE SAFE.

Luca looked inside.

Four certificates.

Sofia Moretti.

Twenty-five percent.

Marco Moretti.

Twenty-five percent.

Dante Moretti.

Fifty percent.

Luca stared.

Then at Marco.

“So you never owned her shares.”

Marco’s face had gone pale.

“No.”

“You forged the transfer.”

Marco said nothing.

Sofia looked devastated.

Celeste whispered:

“Dad.”

Arthur looked at Marco.

“You told me the transfer was real.”

Marco snapped:

“You knew enough.”

Arthur stood.

“No.”

He pointed toward the certificates.

“If those are real, then the merger agreement is worthless.”

Luca frowned.

“Why?”

Arthur looked at him.

“Because it assumed Dante controlled Sofia’s shares.”

Marco moved toward the safe.

Luca stepped in front of him.

“No.”

Marco stopped.

Luca’s voice stayed calm.

“You disappeared for twenty-two years.”

“Yes.”

“You came back because Father is dead.”

“Yes.”

“And because you wanted your share.”

“Yes.”

“Not because you wanted justice.”

Marco looked at Sofia.

“Both.”

Luca shook his head.

“No.”

He held up the forged transfer.

“You are just another man who called greed protection.”

Marco’s face hardened.

“You do not understand what Dante did.”

“I understand enough.”

Luca looked at Arthur.

“Where does Celeste fit?”

Arthur looked at his daughter.

“She doesn’t.”

Celeste stared.

Arthur continued.

“That is the one thing I tried to keep separate.”

Marco laughed.

“You arranged their meeting.”

Luca turned.

Arthur froze.

Celeste looked at him.

“What?”

Marco smiled without warmth.

“Tell her.”

Arthur whispered:

“I sent the invitation.”

Celeste stared.

“To the charity auction?”

“Yes.”

“You told me Aunt Marie did.”

“I asked her to.”

Luca’s expression hardened.

“So our first meeting was arranged.”

Arthur nodded.

“Yes.”

Celeste stepped backward.

“No.”

Arthur looked at her.

“I wanted the merger.”

“You used me.”

“I thought it would protect you.”

She laughed through tears.

“There it is again.”

Everyone went silent.

Celeste looked at Luca.

“I did not know.”

He studied her.

This time.

He believed her.

Then Marco reached into his coat.

Sofia flinched.

Luca moved.

Marco slowly removed a key.

Not a weapon.

He placed it on the table.

“The Geneva vault.”

Sofia stared.

“You had the second key.”

“Yes.”

“What is inside?”

Marco looked at Luca.

“The one document Dante never found.”

“What document?”

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Marco answered:

“Your mother’s original ownership deed.”