Chapter 3 - Marianne Vale Was Not Emma’s Mother’s First Name

Marco worked until dawn.

Luca did not sleep.

Emma refused to.

Belini remained in the study because Luca would not let her leave.

No one said prisoner.

No one needed to.

At 4:12 a.m., Marco found Marianne’s original birth record.

Not Vale.

Not Voss.

Not any name Emma knew.

Marianne DeLuca.

Emma stared at the screen.

“That is not possible.”

Luca watched her.

“Why?”

“My mother said her parents were from Ohio.”

Marco answered.

“They weren’t.”

He turned the laptop.

Brooklyn.

Italian parents.

One older brother.

Antonio DeLuca.

Emma read the next line.

Brother deceased.

Cause:

Gunshot.

Twenty-four years ago.

One year before Emma was born.

Luca’s expression changed.

He knew the name.

Emma saw it.

“You know him.”

Luca did not deny it.

“My father did business with Antonio.”

“What kind of business?”

Luca looked at her.

“The kind newspapers did not print.”

Emma laughed once.

No humor.

“So my mother’s brother worked for your family.”

“Sometimes with us. Sometimes against us.”

Belini looked toward the window.

“My father knew him too.”

Emma turned sharply.

“Of course he did.”

Belini flinched.

Good.

Emma was tired of careful.

“What happened to Antonio?”

Luca answered.

“Officially? Robbery.”

“And unofficially?”

“My father believed Moretti ordered it.”

Belini’s face closed.

“You never proved that.”

“No.”

Emma looked between them.

“So Sofia disappears.”

“Yes.”

“My mother disappears.”

“Yes.”

“Her brother dies.”

“Yes.”

“And your fathers are somehow connected to all of it.”

Nobody answered.

That was an answer.

Marco opened another file.

A private investigator report written twenty-three years ago.

One paragraph had been underlined.

Sofia Castellano seen entering St. Vincent’s maternity wing with unidentified female believed to be Marianne DeLuca.

No exit recorded for Sofia.

Emma frowned.

“How can there be no exit?”

“Service entrance,” Luca said.

“Or someone removed the record.”

Belini went pale.

Emma noticed.

“What?”

Belini shook her head.

“What?”

“My father donated to St. Vincent’s.”

Luca’s eyes hardened.

“Of course he did.”

Marco searched archived hospital administration records.

One name repeated.

Dr. Elias Moretti.

Belini’s uncle.

Surgeon.

Board member.

Family fixer.

Emma stared.

“You think he changed records.”

Belini whispered, “He changed many things.”

Luca looked at her.

“What things?”

Belini said nothing.

Luca’s voice lowered.

“Belini.”

She closed her eyes.

“When I was sixteen, I heard my father and Uncle Elias arguing about Sofia.”

Emma leaned forward.

“What did they say?”

“I only heard pieces.”

“Tell me.”

Belini swallowed.

“My father said, ‘The baby changes everything.’”

The room went still.

Emma’s heartbeat slowed.

Not calm.

Shock.

“What baby?”

Belini looked at her.

“I always thought Sofia had been pregnant.”

Luca stared.

“She wasn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“My father’s file. No medical notes. No pregnancy. Nothing.”

Belini’s face drained.

Then Emma understood.

The newborn photograph.

The date.

Tell Luca when she’s ready.

She whispered:

“They weren’t talking about Sofia’s baby.”

Luca’s gaze locked on hers.

“No.”

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Emma’s fingers tightened around the medallion.

“They were talking about me.”