Chapter 7 - THE SECOND BETRAYAL
I stared at the paper, the letters burning into my vision. Vanessa wasn't a victim. She was the architect. “Luca,” I said, my voice shaking. He turned, wiping a stray tear from his eye. “What is it, Claire?” I walked over and handed him the paper. Vanessa saw it. Her face contorted in sheer panic. “That’s forged!” she screamed, backing away toward the front door. “Marco was blackmailing me!” “You paid him two million dollars yesterday,” Luca read the date, his voice turning to ice. Anthony stepped forward, looking at Vanessa with disgust. “She found out I was alive three months ago,” Anthony explained quietly. “She realized that if I came back, the family trust would revert to me. Her daughter wouldn't inherit the empire.” Vanessa hit the wall, her breathing erratic. “I did it for Mia!” Vanessa cried. “You left us! You abandoned this family! My husband—your other brother—died of a drug overdose because he couldn’t handle the pressure of this family! I wasn’t going to let Mia lose everything to a ghost!” She pointed a shaking finger at Eleanor. “And that old bat knew! She figured it out when she saw the bank statements in my office. That’s why I had to get rid of her. Put her in a home where no one would listen to her!” Eleanor looked at Vanessa with absolute pity. You are empty, Eleanor signed slowly. I didn’t even need to translate. The message was clear on her face. Luca motioned to the remaining security guards. “Take her upstairs. Pack her things. She leaves tonight. Without a dime.” “You can’t take my daughter!” Vanessa shrieked. “I’m not taking her,” Luca said coldly. “You are. And if I ever see either of you near my mother again, I won’t be as forgiving as Anthony.” As the guards pulled a screaming Vanessa up the stairs, the massive front doors banged open again. Flashing red and blue lights illuminated the foyer. The police had arrived. Anthony looked at Luca, a sad smile on his face. “I guess I have a lot of explaining to do.” Before Anthony could step forward to meet the officers, Eleanor grabbed his sleeve. She pressed something into his hand. It was a small, worn photograph.
