Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Had to Prove She Was Alive

Sofia laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because after eighteen years, the problem sounded ridiculous.

“I am standing here.”

The manager nodded.

“Legally, that is not enough.”

Luca stared.

“What do we need?”

“Court restoration of identity.”

“How long?”

“Weeks.”

Sofia’s face fell.

Luca looked at the deed.

“And until then?”

“The shares remain frozen.”

Marco still held twenty-five.

Luca fifty.

Sofia twenty-five.

But legally dead.

Which meant control remained disputed.

Then Celeste’s phone rang.

Arthur.

She answered.

“Dad?”

His voice was loud enough for us to hear.

“Do not leave the bank.”

Celeste frowned.

“Why?”

“Marco called someone before security took him.”

Luca looked toward the door.

“Who?”

Arthur answered:

“His lawyer.”

“So?”

“The lawyer filed an emergency petition in New York.”

“For what?”

Arthur hesitated.

“To have Sofia’s shares declared abandoned property.”

Silence.

Sofia stared.

“Can he do that?”

Elias shook his head.

Arthur answered:

“He can try.”

Luca’s face hardened.

“Why now?”

“Because if Sofia is still legally dead, Marco can claim the shares revert under the original family agreement.”

Sofia looked at Luca.

“The agreement.”

The one planned before his engagement.

Arthur continued.

“There is more.”

“What?”

“Marco also filed a copy of the merger agreement.”

Celeste closed her eyes.

Luca understood.

“He is trying to activate the Vane claim.”

“Yes.”

“Using Celeste.”

“Yes.”

She went pale.

“I never signed anything.”

Arthur’s voice became quiet.

“You did.”

Celeste froze.

“When?”

“Your engagement contract.”

Luca turned toward her.

She looked confused.

Arthur continued.

“The document you signed at the engagement dinner six months ago.”

Celeste stared.

“You told me it was a family asset disclosure.”

“It was.”

“And?”

“It also acknowledged the old settlement.”

Her face emptied.

“You hid that from me.”

“Yes.”

Luca closed his eyes.

Celeste whispered:

“You used my signature.”

Arthur started crying.

“I thought I was protecting the family.”

She laughed bitterly.

“No.”

“Celeste—”

“No.”

She ended the call.

Then handed the phone to Luca.

“I’m done protecting him.”

Luca looked at her.

She removed the engagement ring.

Not dramatically.

Quietly.

Then placed it on the bank table.

“I love you.”

Luca said nothing.

“But every time someone says that in this family, they use it to excuse a lie.”

His expression softened slightly.

Celeste continued.

“I will not do that.”

She pushed the ring toward him.

“This engagement is over unless you choose it again after everything is finished.”

Sofia watched her.

Luca looked at the ring.

Then at Celeste.

“You are ending it?”

“I am removing the contract.”

Silence.

Luca almost smiled.

“That sounds like a lawyer.”

“My father raised one.”

She looked toward Sofia.

“And apparently needed one.”

The manager returned with another file.

“There may be a faster way to restore Ms. Moretti’s status.”

“How?”

“If there is continuous proof she was alive.”

Sofia frowned.

“I avoided government records.”

“Bank transactions?”

“No.”

“Medical?”

“No.”

“Property?”

“No.”

Elias cleared his throat.

Everyone looked at him.

“Jewelry repairs.”

The manager frowned.

Elias continued.

“Sofia brought me the locket every few years.”

Luca stared.

“You saw her more than once?”

Elias nodded.

“How many times?”

“Seven.”

Sofia looked at the floor.

Luca’s face changed.

“Seven times.”

“Yes.”

“And you never told me.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“She begged me.”

Luca looked at Sofia.

She whispered:

“I wanted to know how you were.”

“So you came to the city.”

“Yes.”

“And left again.”

“Yes.”

Luca stared at both of them.

Elias took out his old appointment book.

Receipts.

Signatures.

Security photographs.

Dates covering fifteen years.

The manager studied them.

“This could establish continuity.”

Sofia looked at Elias.

“You kept everything?”

He smiled sadly.

“I repair jewelry.”

Then looked at Luca.

“And sometimes lies.”

Luca almost laughed.

The evidence was sent to attorneys.

By evening, a judge scheduled an emergency hearing.

But before they left Geneva, another message arrived.

A photograph.

Arthur Vane.

Sitting in his study.

Blood on his shirt.

Celeste stopped breathing.

Below it:

WITHDRAW THE PETITION.

OR HE DIES.

Luca looked at the sender.

Unknown.

Celeste whispered:

“Marco?”

Sofia shook her head.

“He is in custody.”

Luca stared at the photograph.

Then at the background.

The clock.

The bookshelf.

The open safe.

One thing was missing.

Arthur’s blue ledger.

Luca looked at Celeste.

“What did your father keep in that safe?”

She swallowed.

“The records he never gave anyone.”

“What records?”

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Her face went pale.

“The names of everyone who helped our fathers.”