Chapter 14 - Three Envelopes
Elena refused to let Valerio open Veronica’s envelope.
“It was entrusted to me under legal privilege,” she said.
“Veronica is poisoning my wife.”
“Then call the police.”
“We did.”
“Good. Now act like civilized people for five minutes.”
Alessia liked her immediately.
Her own envelope contained a copy of the original Bellini trust appendix and a letter from her mother warning that the Rinaldi family’s shipping network had been laundering money through charitable medical contracts.
That explained the shell vendors.
The second page hurt more.
If Valerio chooses truth over family reputation, trust him. If he chooses the family name over you, leave.
Alessia folded it carefully.
Valerio read his own letter in silence.
“What does it say?” she asked.
He handed it to her.
It was from Luca.
I saw Uncle Cesare cut the brake line. Dad discovered him and tried to stop him. Dad covered it afterward because he believed public scandal would start a war. He was wrong to hide it. I was wrong to stay quiet.
Valerio sat down.
His father had not ordered the crash.
He had buried the truth.
That difference did not make him innocent.
Elena looked at him. “Your father came here once. He wanted the documents destroyed.”
“And you refused?”
“I told him men like him had already destroyed enough.”
Alessia glanced toward Veronica’s envelope.
“What did my mother leave her?”
Elena’s face softened.
“Not your mother. Luca.”
Valerio looked up.
“Luca wrote to Veronica?”
“They were engaged once.”
Alessia stared at him.
“You never told me that.”
“It was before us.”
Elena said, “Luca ended it after learning Veronica was helping Cesare move money. She believed Luca would expose her.”
Valerio’s face darkened.
“And six months later Luca died.”
Elena nodded.
The room went cold.
Alessia asked the question no one wanted to hear.
“Was his boating accident an accident?”
Elena reached for the third envelope.
“No.”
A knock sounded at the outer door.
One of Valerio’s guards entered.
“Sir, we have a problem.”
“What?”
“The police found Veronica’s car.”
“Where?”
The guard looked at Alessia.
“Outside Mrs. Rinaldi’s rehabilitation clinic.”
May you like
Nathan was there.
Alone.
