Chapter 3 - THE BELLANDI TRUST
Sofia had not married Luca for money.
That was the first thing Luca insisted on.
Elina did not care.
Not yet.
She wanted facts.
Matteo Moretti had served as trustee for the Bellandi estate after Sofia’s parents died in a boating accident when she was twelve.
Why a Moretti?
Because Antonio Bellandi and Luca’s father were business partners.
The Bellandis owned:
Restaurants.
Commercial property.
A food import company.
And seventeen percent of a shipping warehouse operation later absorbed into Moretti Holdings.
Value today?
Approximately fourteen million dollars.
Elina stared.
“And Sofia inherited all of it?”
“Yes.”
“If she had a surviving twin?”
Luca’s face hardened.
“Half would belong to you.”
There it was.
Motive.
Not necessarily murder.
But motive to keep Elina nonexistent.
Then Luca opened family records through outside counsel.
Not his uncle’s people.
Independent.
Elina insisted.
Good.
The Bellandi trust document named:
Sofia Teresa Bellandi.
Elena Maria Bellandi.
Twin daughters.
Elina’s chest tightened.
The original trust expected two beneficiaries.
Then an amendment.
Six weeks after birth:
Elena Maria Bellandi — deceased.
No death certificate attached.
Only notarized statement from physician.
Doctor:
Dr. Samuel Rivas.
Dead twelve years.
Witness:
Matteo Moretti.
Elina felt cold.
Matteo had been twenty-eight then.
Already involved.
“Why would he witness a hospital death?”
Luca had no answer.
Then another document surfaced.
Insurance settlement from hospital.
Paid to Bellandi family after “neonatal loss.”
Maybe genuine.
Maybe cover.
Then Elina called Rosa.
Her adoptive mother.
Rosa answered on second ring.
“Baby?”
Elina’s throat tightened.
“When did you adopt me?”
Silence.
Not confusion.
Fear.
“Elina…”
“When?”
“Who told you?”
Wrong answer.
Elina closed her eyes.
“Tell me the truth.”
Rosa started crying.
Twenty-seven years ago, Rosa worked as a nurse’s aide at St. Agnes Hospital.
One newborn was removed from nursery by an administrator.
Not adoption services.
A private attorney.
Baby had no chart bracelet by then.
Rosa asked questions.
She was told mother surrendered child.
Weeks later, the same attorney approached Rosa and her husband.
They had struggled with infertility.
He offered private adoption.
Documents appeared legal.
Rosa wanted to believe.
So she did.
“Did you know my name?”
“No.”
“Bellandi?”
Rosa cried harder.
“I saw it once.”
There.
The bracelet.
“Why keep it?”
“Because part of me knew.”
Elina’s voice cracked.
“Knew what?”
“That someone had erased you.”
Silence.
Luca looked away.
Then Rosa said:
“The attorney’s name was Moretti.”
Elina froze.
“Matteo?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“Vincent Moretti.”
Luca’s face changed.
Vincent was Matteo’s older brother.
Luca’s father.
May you like
Dead seven years.
Meaning Luca’s own father may have helped arrange Elina’s disappearance.
