Chapter 5: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Nobody spoke after the call ended.
Not because there was nothing to say.
Because everyone had too much.
The kind of silence that filled the Moretti mansion that night wasn’t peaceful.
It was the silence before something collapsed.
Luca stood in the center of the room, still holding Vanessa’s phone.
His eyes were fixed on nothing.
For the first time since I had met him, Luca Moretti looked lost.
Not angry.
Not powerful.
Lost.
“Luca.””
Teresa’s voice was gentle.
He didn’t answer.
“Luca, sweetheart…”
That finally broke through.
He looked at her.
“Did you know?””
The question was quiet.
But everyone heard it.
Teresa’s face tightened.
“Know what?””
“My mother.””
The room froze.
Luca took the photograph from the table.
“This woman.””
His fingers touched the image carefully.
“Did you know she was alive?””
Teresa looked at the picture.
And the sadness in her eyes answered before her mouth did.
Luca saw it.
His expression changed.
“You knew.””
The old woman shook her head.
“Not everything.””
“But something.””
A tear moved down her cheek.
“Yes.””
The word was barely audible.
Luca stepped back.
The pain on his face was worse than anger.
“You knew my mother wasn’t dead.””
Teresa looked down.
“I knew there was a chance.””
“A chance?””
His voice rose slightly.
The guests looked uncomfortable.
Some quietly began leaving.
Nobody wanted to witness more.
But Luca didn’t notice.
“My entire life, I visited a grave.””
Teresa covered her mouth.
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“Don’t say that.””
His voice cracked.
“Don’t say sorry like that fixes eighteen years.””
Nobody moved.
I watched Teresa lower herself into a chair.
She looked suddenly older.
Not seventy-four.
Older.
Like the weight of the secret had added years to her shoulders.
“I should have told you.””
“Yes.””
The answer came immediately.
She nodded.
“I know.””
Luca turned away.
For a moment, I thought he might leave.
But then his eyes landed on Vanessa.
And everything changed.
“You knew.””
Vanessa swallowed.
“Luca…”
“You knew my mother was alive.””
“No.””
The answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
Luca noticed.
“You’re lying.””
“I knew there were rumors.””
“Rumors from who?””
She didn’t answer.
“Vanessa.””
Her eyes filled with frustration.
“I was trying to protect you.””
He stared at her.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
His voice became colder.
“Protect me from what?””
Vanessa looked at the photograph.
Then at the letter.
Then finally at him.
“From the truth.””
“That’s not an answer.””
“It’s the only answer you’re going to get tonight.””
The room went completely still.
Luca’s expression hardened.
“Tonight?””
Vanessa realized her mistake.
She looked away.
And I knew.
She had just admitted there was more.
Much more.
Luca noticed too.
“You know where she is.””
Vanessa said nothing.
“You know where my mother is.””
“I know where she was.””
That sentence changed everything.
Luca stepped closer.
“Where?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because people have died trying to find her.””
The words were quiet.
But they hit like a weapon.
Teresa looked up.
“What did you say?””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You heard me.””
The silver-haired man stepped forward.
“Vanessa.””
She turned.
“What?””
“You’re saying too much.””
Luca immediately looked between them.
“You two know each other.””
Neither answered.
That was answer enough.
My mind raced.
All night, Vanessa had seemed like the person hiding secrets.
But now something felt different.
She wasn’t just hiding something.
She was afraid of something.
Luca noticed too.
“Who are you afraid of?””
Vanessa looked at him.
For a second, the anger disappeared.
And I saw something else.
Fear.
“I’m afraid of the person who killed your father.””
The room went silent.
Luca’s face changed.
“My father died of natural causes.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
The word was barely a whisper.
“He didn’t.””
Nobody breathed.
The silver-haired man closed his eyes.
Like he had been hoping this moment would never come.
Luca looked at him.
“You knew too.””
The man didn’t deny it.
“I suspected.””
“You suspected?””
Luca’s voice became dangerous.
“You were there.””
The man looked up.
“What?””
“You were there the night he died.””
The man’s face changed.
A tiny reaction.
But enough.
Luca saw.
“How do I know that?””
He took a step closer.
“Because I saw your name in my father’s old records.””
The man stayed silent.
Luca continued.
“You were his lawyer.””
“Yes.””
“And his friend.””
“Yes.””
“And now you show up eighteen years later with a photograph that proves my mother might be alive?””
The man looked tired.
“I came because your father wanted you to know eventually.””
“Eventually?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
The man looked at the letter.
“When you were ready.””
Luca laughed bitterly.
“Ready?””
He held up the photograph.
“My entire life has been built on a lie.””
The man didn’t argue.
That made it worse.
Luca turned toward the letter.
“Open it.””
Everyone looked at Teresa.
The older woman slowly stood.
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
“Once you read it, you can’t go back.””
Luca looked at the photograph of his mother.
“I haven’t been able to go back for eighteen years.””
Teresa nodded.
Then handed him the letter.
He opened it carefully.
The paper was old.
Yellowed.
The handwriting was elegant.
His father’s.
Everyone watched as Luca read silently.
At first, nothing changed.
Then his eyebrows pulled together.
Then his face became confused.
Then shocked.
Finally…
Broken.
I wanted to look away.
It felt wrong to watch someone discover something that painful.
But I couldn’t.
After several seconds, Luca folded the letter.
“What does it say?”” Vanessa asked.
He looked at her.
And whatever he had read had changed him.
“My father knew.””
“Knew what?””
He looked at Teresa.
Then the photograph.
Then everyone in the room.
“He knew my mother was alive.””
A wave of whispers moved through the room.
Luca continued.
“And he knew someone was trying to find her.””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“What else?””
He didn’t answer.
“Luca.””
His eyes moved toward her.
“He wrote that if anything happened to him…”
He stopped.
His hand tightened around the letter.
“What?””
Luca looked down.
Then said the words.
“He wrote that the person closest to him was the one he feared most.””
The room went silent.
The silver-haired man looked away.
Teresa covered her mouth.
And Vanessa went completely still.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
Someone close.
Someone trusted.
Someone inside the family.
Luca looked at Vanessa.
“Who was he talking about?””
She didn’t answer.
“Vanessa.””
Her lips parted.
But before she could speak, the mansion’s security alarm suddenly activated.
A loud siren filled the house.
Everyone jumped.
One of the guards rushed in from the hallway.
“Mr. Moretti!””
Luca turned.
“What happened?””
The guard looked nervous.
“Someone broke into the lower level.””
“Who?””
The guard hesitated.
Then looked at Teresa.
“We found them near the old storage room.””
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“What were they looking for?””
The guard swallowed.
“They were searching for something hidden under the floor.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
Because I knew.
Everyone knew.
The letter wasn’t the only thing Luca’s father had hidden.
The guard looked at Luca.
“And sir…”
“What?””
He lowered his voice.
“The person we caught had this.””
He held up a small object in his hand.
A necklace.
An old silver necklace.
The same one worn by the woman in the photograph.
Luca stared at it.
Then whispered:
“That belonged to my mother.””
The guard nodded.
“And there’s something else.””
Luca looked up.
“What?””
The guard’s face turned pale.
“The person we caught…”
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A pause.
“They said they were sent by your mother.””
