Chapter 13 - THE FORTUNE I NEVER ASKED FOR
Forty million dollars.
I stared at the statement for so long that the numbers stopped looking real.
For years, I'd worried about grocery bills.
Rent.
Doctor appointments.
The cost of replacing worn-out shoes.
And now I was being told that my mother had preserved millions inside protected accounts connected to the Moretti investigation.
It wasn't immediately mine to spend.
The money was under legal review.
Some funds might belong to victims.
Others might be subject to restitution.
And the original documents still required verification.
But one thing was clear.
Margaret Bennett had tried to protect something powerful people wanted to steal.
Evelyn sat beside me.
“Your mother believed the funds should help the families harmed by the financial operation.”
I looked up.
“Then that's what I want too.”
She smiled faintly.
“You don't have to decide everything today.”
I nodded.
For the first time, I was learning that having choices didn't mean I had to make them immediately.
Meanwhile, Nico's life was changing.
He cooperated with investigators.
Opened company records.
Separated legitimate businesses from criminal operations.
And accepted that his own decisions might carry serious consequences.
Some associates turned against him.
Others disappeared.
Money was frozen.
Properties entered independent oversight.
And the empire he'd spent his life defending began to unravel.
But when I spoke with him, he sounded different.
Less certain.
More honest.
One evening, he called.
“Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“I met Isabella.”
My heart tightened.
“How was it?”
He laughed softly.
“She told me my apartment looked like a museum for depressed billionaires.”
I burst out laughing.
“That sounds accurate.”
“She said I need plants.”
“She's right.”
“And curtains that aren't black.”
I laughed harder.
For a moment, we sounded like the people we might have been if fear hadn't lived between us.
Then Nico grew quiet.
“Hannah, I miss you.”
My smile faded.
I closed my eyes.
“I know.”
“I don't expect you to come back.”
I swallowed.
“Good.”
“But I wanted you to know.”
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then I said:
“I miss parts of us too.”
His breathing changed.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I looked toward the window.
“But missing someone isn't the same as trusting them.”
Nico was silent.
Then he whispered:
“I know.”
That answer mattered.
A few weeks later, I moved into a small apartment near Washington Square Park.
My own lease.
My own furniture.
My own keys.
I returned to school.
Started studying nonprofit management.
And began helping Evelyn's firm support people affected by financial exploitation.
For the first time, I woke up without waiting for Nico's elevator.
I cooked dinner when I wanted.
Played music too loudly.
Bought ugly combat boots in three colors.
And learned how peaceful ordinary life could be.
Then, one afternoon, someone knocked on my door.
Evelyn stood outside.
Her expression was serious.
“Hannah, we need to talk.”
I invited her in.
She placed a folder on my kitchen table.
“Investigators found one final document.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“A letter from your mother.”
I stared.
“Another one?”
Evelyn nodded.
“This one was sealed until you reached a particular point in the investigation.”
My hands trembled.
I opened it.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
My little sparrow,
If you're reading this, you've finally learned the truth about your father.
Tears filled my eyes.
May you like
Then I reached the last paragraph.
“Hannah, the greatest secret I kept wasn't about Daniel, Lucia, or the Moretti fortune. It was about why Nico Moretti first came looking for you.”
