Chapter 7 - THE COUSIN WHO STOLE FIVE YEARS
Luca Moretti answered on the first ring.
“Matteo.”
“Where are you?”
“At the Hudson property. Why?”
“Stay there.”
Silence.
“What happened?”
“I found Daniel’s letter.”
Another silence.
Much longer.
Then Luca disconnected.
That was his confession.
We drove back toward Manhattan.
Marco called.
“Luca’s moving.”
“Stop him.”
“He has private security.”
“So do I.”
Naomi stared at me.
“No violence.”
“I didn’t say violence.”
“You thought it very loudly.”
I hated that she still knew me that well.
Luca was intercepted at Teterboro Airport.
Private jet fueled.
Passport ready.
Three suitcases.
He was brought to my office.
He looked at Naomi first.
Then me.
“Before you do anything stupid—”
I hit him.
Once.
Naomi shouted my name.
I stopped.
Luca touched his lip.
“I deserved that.”
“You deserve considerably more.”
“Probably.”
“Why?”
His eyes moved toward Naomi.
“Because I loved her.”
The room changed.
Naomi stared.
“What?”
Luca laughed bitterly.
“You never noticed.”
“I met you twice.”
“I noticed enough.”
I wanted to hit him again.
Naomi stepped between us.
“No.”
I stayed where I was.
Luca confessed.
Five years ago, he discovered Naomi was pregnant.
He also discovered Salvatore’s trust.
If Lily was my child, twenty percent of the company would eventually move outside Luca’s branch of the family.
But money was only part of it.
He resented me.
Always had.
Antonio chose me to lead.
The board followed me.
My mother protected me.
Luca lived one step behind.
So he made one phone call.
He told Naomi I didn’t want the child.
He expected her to leave.
He did not expect my mother to frighten her into vanishing completely.
“Daniel discovered you,” I said.
“Yes.”
“You killed him.”
“No.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I didn’t.”
Luca looked genuinely frightened.
“I met him. He wanted me to confess.”
“What happened?”
“I refused.”
“And two days later he died.”
“I know.”
Naomi’s eyes filled with fury.
“Then who killed him?”
Luca looked toward the window.
“Salvatore.”
I moved forward.
“No.”
“Your biological father killed Daniel because Daniel found him.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel discovered what Salvatore had really been doing for five years.”
Luca opened his phone.
A hidden folder contained photographs.
Salvatore outside Naomi’s Atlanta apartment.
Salvatore outside Lily’s preschool.
Salvatore watching Daniel’s funeral from across the street.
Naomi began shaking.
“He was there?”
“Yes.”
Then Luca showed us one last photograph.
Taken three months earlier.
Salvatore sitting in a restaurant.
Across from him was Daniel Ellis.
Alive.
Naomi dropped into a chair.
“That’s impossible.”
Daniel had been declared dead eight months ago.
Luca’s voice became quiet.
“You never saw his body, did you?”
She looked at him.
“No.”
“He isn’t dead.”
My blood went cold.
“Then whose funeral did we attend?”
May you like
Luca answered:
“That is exactly what Salvatore doesn’t want you to find out.”
