Chapter 5 - Vanessa Hale Was Never Richard's Daughter

Luca called Vanessa immediately.

She answered on the first ring.

"Luca."

His voice was flat.

"Who is your father?"

Silence.

Then:

"Richard."

Maria closed her eyes.

Luca said:

"Try again."

Vanessa began crying.

"Where are you?"

"With my mother."

Another silence.

Then Vanessa whispered:

"She told you."

"Yes."

June stared at Maria.

I did too.

Luca asked:

"How long have you known?"

"Since I was nineteen."

His jaw tightened.

"Fifteen years."

"Yes."

"And David Hale is your father."

"Yes."

Luca laughed once.

"So the man I was told was your uncle is actually your father."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because my mother was married to Richard."

Luca frowned.

"What?"

Vanessa continued:

"My mother, Elaine, had an affair with David."

Maria whispered:

"Oh God."

Vanessa said:

"Richard knew before I was born."

Luca asked:

"And raised you anyway."

"Yes."

"Why hide it?"

"Because David was dangerous."

Luca looked at Maria.

That part was true.

Vanessa continued:

"And because Richard wanted the Hale name protected."

June whispered:

"Of course."

Luca asked:

"Did your mother know David was alive?"

"Before she died, yes."

"When?"

"After I turned nineteen."

"And she told you."

"Yes."

"Did you meet him?"

Silence.

Luca's face changed.

"Vanessa."

"Once."

"When?"

"Eight years ago."

"Where?"

"Miami."

Maria stood.

Luca asked:

"What did he want?"

"Money."

"From you?"

"He said Richard had stolen his life."

"And?"

"He said I owed him."

Luca laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

Vanessa continued:

"I told Richard."

"What did Richard do?"

"He paid him."

Maria whispered:

"Again."

Luca asked:

"Did you know David was still alive when you married me?"

Vanessa cried harder.

"Yes."

There it was.

Luca closed his eyes.

"Did you know my mother had been married to him?"

"No."

"When did you find out?"

"Last year."

"Did you know David threatened her?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"After I found the records."

Luca looked at his wedding ring finger.

Empty now.

The ring remained in his pocket.

"Why did you stay silent?"

"Because Richard said if David resurfaced, he would expose everything."

"What everything?"

Vanessa took a breath.

"My birth."

"The fake death records."

"The judge."

"The payments."

"And?"

Silence.

Luca waited.

"And our marriage."

He frowned.

"What about our marriage?"

Vanessa whispered:

"Richard used money from one of David's accounts to fund my trust."

Luca stared.

"What does that have to do with us?"

"When we married, the trust merged into our holding company."

Luca's face hardened.

"So dirty money entered my business through you."

"Yes."

Maria looked at June.

June whispered:

"That explains the anniversary."

Luca asked:

"What?"

June said:

"Why Richard wanted the records now."

Vanessa answered:

"The trust matures this month."

Silence.

Luca understood.

Their anniversary was not only sentimental.

It was financial.

Luca asked:

"What happens when it matures?"

Vanessa said:

"Control transfers to me."

"Control of what?"

"A holding company."

"Which one?"

She said the name.

Maria went pale.

Luca saw.

"What?"

Maria whispered:

"That company paid David."

June stared.

"How do you know?"

Maria went to the metal box.

Pulled another page.

Old bank statement.

Same company.

Monthly transfers.

Luca stared.

His wife was about to inherit the company that financed the man who terrorized his mother.

Vanessa said through the phone:

"Luca, I didn't create it."

"No."

His voice stayed calm.

"But you knew enough to hide it."

She cried.

"Yes."

Luca looked at Maria.

Then asked:

"Where is Richard?"

Vanessa hesitated.

"At home."

"Is he alone?"

"No."

Luca went still.

"Who is with him?"

Vanessa whispered:

"David."

Maria stood.

June dropped her folder.

Luca stared at the phone.

"David is there?"

"Yes."

"When did he arrive?"

"An hour ago."

"What does he want?"

"The trust documents."

Luca's face hardened.

"Are you safe?"

Vanessa started crying harder.

"I don't know."

That changed him.

Everything else paused.

The lies.

The anger.

The marriage.

Luca said:

"Lock the door."

"He's downstairs."

"Do not go near him."

"My father—"

"Which one?"

Silence.

Vanessa whispered:

"Richard."

Luca closed his eyes.

"Is Richard safe?"

"I don't know."

Then we heard a man shouting through the phone.

Distant.

Older.

Vanessa gasped.

A door slammed.

Luca stood.

"Vanessa."

"I'm here."

"Call police."

"I can't."

"Why?"

Another voice came closer.

A man's voice.

"Vanessa."

Maria went pale.

She recognized it.

David Hale.

Luca said:

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"Do not open the door."

The line went dead.