Chapter 11 - THE TRUTH HENRY COULDN'T HIDE
Henry agreed to speak only in the presence of lawyers and investigators.
He admitted that he had helped Vittorio manipulate the trust documents, but claimed he had never intended for Mia or Chiara to be harmed. He said Vittorio wanted absolute control over the Vieri assets and had used Serena to obtain Alessandro's signature.
“Why the wedding?” Alessandro demanded.
“Marriage would have given Serena access to certain private records, and your signature would have completed the transfer. The arrangement was designed to look voluntary.”
“And Matteo?”
Henry lowered his eyes.
“Your brother found evidence of the scheme. He survived the incident, but Vittorio convinced him that returning would put his daughter in danger.”
“Where is he?”
Henry provided an address and a set of correspondence. He also handed over copies of financial records showing that Vittorio had paid people to conceal information about the brothers' father.
The documents did not prove every allegation, but they provided investigators with a strong lead and a reason to reopen the old case.
Alessandro felt anger rise in his chest, followed by something more painful.
For years, he had built his identity around the belief that his family had been destroyed by enemies outside their walls. The possibility that his uncle had orchestrated the deception made every memory feel uncertain.
He called Chiara and told her what they had found.
She listened quietly.
“Then bring the truth home,” she said. “But don't let it turn you into the man your uncle wants you to be.”
When Alessandro returned to the estate, Mia ran to greet him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and asked if the bad people were gone.
“Not yet,” he answered honestly. “But we're getting closer.”
She handed him another drawing.
This one showed two men standing beside a lake.
One had dark hair.
The other had a scar on his cheek.
May you like
Underneath, Mia had written a name she had never been taught.
Uncle Matteo.
