Chapter 14 - The Wife Who Thought She Had Already Won
Vanessa Moretti walked into the mansion as though she were returning from a shopping trip.
She wore an expensive red coat, black leather gloves, and diamond earrings that caught the light every time she turned her head.
There was no fear in her expression.
No uncertainty.
Not even when she saw Dante standing at the top of the staircase.
She stopped.
For the first time, her smile faltered.
"My God."
Dante didn't move.
"Disappointed?"
Vanessa stared at him.
"You survived."
His eyes remained cold.
"Clearly."
She recovered quickly.
Then she laughed.
It was a delicate, practiced sound.
The kind of laugh wealthy people used when they wanted to pretend something uncomfortable was merely amusing.
"Dante, sweetheart, I was told you were dead."
He descended one step.
"By whom?"
Her smile tightened.
"Your security people."
"Which ones?"
She hesitated.
"I don't remember."
Dante came down another step.
"That's unfortunate."
Vanessa looked toward Marco.
"Marco, would you please explain what's happening?"
Marco didn't answer.
She turned toward me.
And her expression changed completely.
Recognition.
Then anger.
"You."
I stood near the library entrance.
"Hello, Vanessa."
Her eyes narrowed.
"The waitress."
I nodded.
"That's right."
She looked me up and down.
"Why is she in my house?"
Dante reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Because she saved my life."
Vanessa's face went pale.
Only for a second.
Then she forced another smile.
"How wonderful."
I stared at her.
The same woman who had whispered about being a widow by midnight was standing five feet from the husband she had tried to kill.
And she was pretending to be pleased.
I wondered how many times she had smiled like that across a dinner table.
How many times Dante had believed it.
Vanessa turned toward him.
"Darling, I was terrified when I heard about the accident."
Dante watched her.
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Then why didn't you visit the hospital?"
She blinked.
"I was told you had been transferred."
"By whom?"
Her lips tightened.
"You know how chaotic these situations are."
Dante took a step closer.
"No."
His voice remained calm.
"I don't."
Vanessa looked toward the guards.
For the first time, I saw uncertainty creep into her expression.
Then she straightened.
"Well, this conversation is becoming ridiculous."
She reached into her purse.
Marco immediately moved.
"Hands where I can see them."
Vanessa stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"Please remove your hand slowly."
Her face hardened.
"Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?"
Marco didn't blink.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then move."
He didn't.
Dante spoke.
"Vanessa."
She turned.
"Take your hand out of the purse."
Slowly, she obeyed.
In her fingers was an envelope.
She held it toward him.
"I came to discuss our divorce."
The room fell silent.
I stared.
Divorce?
She had tried to murder him.
And now she wanted a divorce?
Dante looked almost amused.
"Interesting timing."
Vanessa lifted her chin.
"Our marriage has been over for years."
"Has it?"
"You know it has."
Dante studied her.
"Then why didn't you leave?"
Her smile vanished.
"Because you would never have let me."
I looked at Dante.
His face gave nothing away.
Then he said quietly, "You never asked."
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Don't pretend you were a loving husband."
"That isn't what I'm doing."
"You cared about your business more than anything."
Dante looked at her.
"Perhaps."
She seemed surprised by the answer.
Then he continued.
"But I never planned to have you killed."
The words landed like a slap.
Vanessa froze.
I watched her eyes.
For the first time, she looked genuinely frightened.
"What are you talking about?"
Dante stepped closer.
"Adrian Bell."
Her face went white.
"Who?"
"You know him."
"I know dozens of people named Adrian."
Dante took out his phone.
He played an audio recording.
It was short.
Grainy.
Captured by a recording system at Bellini's that Detective Shaw had obtained through the investigation.
Vanessa's voice filled the entrance hall.
The brakes?
Then Adrian's.
Cut just enough.
Then Vanessa again.
By midnight, I'll be a grieving widow.
The recording ended.
Vanessa stared at the phone.
For a long moment, nobody moved.
Then she whispered, "You recorded me."
Dante's expression remained cold.
"No."
He looked toward me.
"Cara was nearby."
Vanessa turned slowly.
Her eyes locked on mine.
All the elegance disappeared from her face.
"You little bitch."
I took a step backward.
She lunged.
It happened so quickly that I barely reacted.
Her hand shot toward my face.
But Marco caught her wrist before she reached me.
Vanessa screamed.
"Let go of me!"
Dante didn't move.
He simply watched.
"Enough."
Vanessa struggled.
"You ruined everything!"
I stared at her.
For the first time, her true voice matched the one I'd heard behind the restaurant partition.
Cruel.
Furious.
Terrified of losing control.
I stepped forward.
"No."
She glared at me.
"What?"
"You ruined everything."
My voice shook.
"You tried to kill your husband."
"You helped kidnap my brother."
"And you sent people to burn down my home."
Vanessa laughed wildly.
"You think this is about you?"
I froze.
She stared at me with open contempt.
"You're nobody."
Dante's voice cut through the hall.
"Be careful."
Vanessa turned toward him.
Her expression twisted.
"Don't tell me you're defending her."
Dante didn't answer.
Vanessa looked from him to me.
Then she laughed again.
"Oh, I see."
She smiled cruelly.
"The great Dante Moretti has fallen for a waitress."
My cheeks burned.
I wanted to disappear.
But Dante didn't look embarrassed.
He looked at Vanessa with absolute disgust.
"Don't use Cara to avoid answering for what you've done."
Her smile vanished.
He continued.
"Where is Daniel Fields?"
Vanessa looked toward me.
Then a slow smile returned.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
I felt my stomach drop.
Dante stepped closer.
"Tell me."
She shook her head.
"You don't understand."
"Then explain."
Vanessa looked toward the guards.
Her eyes moved from face to face.
Then she lowered her voice.
"Your father is coming back."
Dante said nothing.
Vanessa smiled.
"And when he does, everything you've built will belong to him."
Marco's expression hardened.
Dante remained calm.
"Not if he spends the rest of his life in prison."
Vanessa laughed.
"You think a courtroom can stop him?"
"I think evidence can."
Her eyes narrowed.
Dante continued.
"Your recorded conversation."
"The forged financial records."
"The witnesses."
"The money transfers."
He stepped closer.
"And whatever Daniel knows."
For the first time, Vanessa looked uncertain.
She stared at him.
Then she whispered, "You don't know what Daniel found."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"What did he find?"
Vanessa looked toward me.
And her smile disappeared.
"Something that could destroy every Moretti."
Dante's eyes narrowed.
"Tell us."
She shook her head.
"No."
He remained silent.
Vanessa looked increasingly desperate.
Then she suddenly said, "I can make a deal."
I stared.
"A deal?"
She ignored me.
Her eyes remained on Dante.
"Give me the money."
"Let me leave the country."
"And I'll tell you where Daniel is."
I felt sick.
Dante studied her.
"How much?"
Vanessa swallowed.
"Ten million."
I almost laughed.
My brother's life had become a price tag.
Dante didn't react.
"Proof first."
Vanessa frowned.
"What?"
"Proof Daniel is alive."
She hesitated.
Then she reached slowly toward her purse.
Marco watched her every movement.
She removed her phone.
Typed a message.
A few seconds passed.
Then a video appeared.
She held it up.
Daniel sat in a dim room.
His hands were tied.
A bruise darkened one cheek.
But he was breathing.
Alive.
I stepped forward.
"Daniel."
He looked toward the camera.
Then his expression changed.
He saw something on the screen.
Something I couldn't see.
He leaned forward.
"Cara?"
My heart stopped.
"Daniel!"
Vanessa pulled the phone away.
The video ended.
"No!"
I lunged toward her.
Marco caught my arm.
"Miss Fields."
I struggled.
"Give it back!"
Vanessa smiled.
"Ten million."
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to tear the phone from her hand.
Instead, Dante spoke.
"You're underestimating how much trouble you're in."
Vanessa's smile faltered.
He looked toward the entrance.
Detective Shaw stepped inside with two uniformed officers.
Vanessa froze.
Shaw held up her credentials.
"Vanessa Moretti."
Her voice was steady.
"We need to speak with you regarding an attempted homicide and related offenses."
Vanessa stared.
Then she looked at Dante.
"You called the police?"
Dante didn't blink.
"Yes."
For the first time since arriving, Vanessa had no clever answer.
The officers approached.
She began shouting about lawyers.
About powerful friends.
About how everyone would regret this.
I barely heard her.
My eyes remained on the phone.
Daniel was alive.
And Vanessa had been communicating with the people holding him.
As the officers escorted her toward the door, she suddenly stopped.
She turned toward me.
Her expression was no longer angry.
It was terrified.
"Cara."
I looked up.
Vanessa swallowed.
"There's something you need to know."
Dante stiffened.
Shaw paused.
Vanessa looked toward the dark windows.
Then she whispered, "Your brother wasn't kidnapped because he found the money."
My heart stopped.
"Then why?"
She looked at Dante.
Her voice broke.
"Because he found the original order to kill Rose Moretti."
The room went silent.
Vanessa began to cry.
"And Dante..."
She swallowed.
"The person who signed that order is still inside your house."
Dante immediately instructed his security team to preserve access logs and camera footage.
Shaw questioned Vanessa further after she was taken into custody.
I stood in the entrance hall, staring at the people around me.
Marco.
Mrs. Bennett.
The guards.
The household staff.
Someone inside the mansion had apparently been connected to Rose's murder.
Someone who could still be watching us.
Someone who might know exactly where Daniel was being held.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I opened the message.
There was no photograph this time.
Only one sentence.
YOU HAVE TWELVE HOURS TO LEAVE THE MORETTI ESTATE, OR DANIEL DIES.
Below it was a name.
Not Adrian.
Not Vanessa.
Not Vittorio.
MRS. BENNETT.
I slowly lifted my eyes toward the staircase.
The housekeeper stood at the top.
Her silver hair was neatly arranged.
Her hands were folded.
She looked exactly as she had when she'd welcomed me into my guest room.
May you like
Then she smiled.
And reached into her apron.
