Chapter 2: The Letter My Wife Left Behind
Rosalie didn't speak until we'd reached the small library at the end of the west corridor.
It was one of Isabella's favorite rooms at the estate. Before she became ill, she'd sit by the tall windows with a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, listening to Livia chatter about school.
Now the room smelled of polished wood, old paper, and the roses the staff had arranged for my wedding.
Livia sat on the sofa with a blanket around her shoulders.
I knelt in front of her and gently examined the damaged section of her hair.
"We're going to find someone who can help us make this comfortable, okay?""
"Will my hair grow back like it was?""
The question nearly broke me.
"Yes, sweetheart. It will take time, but it will grow.""
"Will Mommy recognize me?""
I swallowed hard.
"Your mommy would recognize you anywhere.""
She touched the silver butterfly clip pinned above her right ear.
"She bought this for the wedding.""
"I know.""
"Bianca said I wasn't allowed to wear it because it was old-fashioned.""
I closed my eyes briefly.
"Your mother gave it to you. You can wear it whenever you want.""
Livia looked down at her hands.
"Are you still going to marry Bianca?""
"No.""
She looked up so quickly that the blanket slipped from her shoulders.
"Because of me?""
"Because of what she chose to do. None of this is your fault.""
She studied my face as if she needed to memorize the answer.
Then she leaned forward and hugged me.
Rosalie sat beside her, rubbing slow circles across her back.
"I'll stay with her," she said.
"You need to find out what's happening.""
I stood.
"Tell me about the letter.""
Rosalie glanced at Livia.
"Not in front of her.""
"I can hear you," Livia said quietly.
Rosalie's face softened.
"I know, sweetheart. But this is grown-up business. Your daddy and I need to discuss something important, and then we'll come right back.""
Livia hesitated before nodding.
I kissed her forehead and followed Rosalie into the adjoining reading room.
The moment the door closed, I turned toward her.
"What letter?""
Rosalie rubbed her palms against her dress.
"Isabella wrote it three days before she died.""
"I know she wrote a letter.""
"Do you know what she asked me to do with it?""
"No.""
"She asked me to give it to you if you ever became engaged to a woman who treated Livia as though she were an inconvenience.""
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
"Is that why you opposed Bianca from the beginning?""
Rosalie looked away.
"I didn't trust her.""
"That's not an answer.""
"Because Isabella didn't trust her either.""
The words landed between us.
I stared at Rosalie.
"That makes no sense. Isabella never met Bianca.""
"No," Rosalie said.
"But she knew something about the woman who would eventually try to take her place.""
I shook my head.
"You're talking in riddles.""
"Because I promised Isabella I wouldn't reveal the letter unless the circumstances she described actually happened.""
"Those circumstances happened twenty minutes ago.""
"I know.""
"Then where is it?""
Rosalie pressed her lips together.
"At home. In a locked box.""
I took a step toward her.
"Why didn't you give it to me when I announced the engagement?""
"Because Isabella didn't ask me to give it to you simply because you were engaged. She asked me to wait until you had proof that the woman you chose couldn't be trusted with Livia.""
I stared at her.
"Did Isabella know something about Bianca?""
"No. She knew something about you.""
That stopped me.
Rosalie's eyes filled with tears.
"She knew you were lonely. She knew you would mistake kindness for love because you wanted so badly to believe that Livia could have a happy family again.""
I felt the accusation like a blow.
"Do you think I wanted to hurt my daughter?""
"No," Rosalie replied immediately.
"I think you wanted to give her a mother so badly that you stopped looking at the woman standing in front of you.""
I turned toward the window.
Outside, guests were beginning to arrive. Black cars moved along the gravel driveway. Staff hurried between the gardens and the main house, arranging flowers and checking place cards.
My wedding was supposed to begin in less than ninety minutes.
Instead, I was standing in a reading room trying to understand how my dead wife had anticipated the worst mistake I'd ever made.
"Why didn't you tell me you suspected Bianca?""
"I tried.""
"When?""
"At Christmas. At Easter. The night you told me you'd bought her an engagement ring.""
I remembered those conversations.
Rosalie had asked whether Bianca spent time alone with Livia. She'd questioned why Bianca insisted on choosing Livia's clothes. She'd even suggested that I delay the wedding.
I'd dismissed every concern as grief.
I had told Rosalie that she couldn't expect me to spend the rest of my life alone because Isabella had died.
I'd accused her of trying to keep me trapped in the past.
Now I could barely meet her eyes.
"What else did Isabella write?""
Rosalie shook her head.
"I haven't opened the letter. She sealed it herself.""
"Then we get it now.""
I reached for my phone.
Before I could call Marco, it rang.
The caller was Dr. Samuel Hayes, my family's attorney.
I answered.
"Samuel, I'm in the middle of something.""
"So am I," he said. His voice was unusually tense.
"I've just received a notification that a transfer request was submitted against the Moretti Family Trust.""
I straightened.
"What transfer request?""
"The trust established for Livia after Isabella's death. Someone has attempted to change the designated trustee and authorize a substantial withdrawal.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"How substantial?""
"Three million dollars.""
I stared at the wall.
"Who submitted it?""
"The request carries a digital authorization associated with your personal account. It also includes a scanned document bearing your signature.""
"That's impossible. I never authorized a withdrawal.""
"I suspected that. The request has been flagged for verification, but Alessandro, there's another problem.""
"What?""
"The document names Bianca Bellini as the proposed replacement trustee.""
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything but the pounding of my heart.
"Freeze the entire process.""
"Already done. But whoever submitted it had access to confidential information.""
"Who knew about the trust?""
"You, me, your financial adviser, and the person who prepared the wedding's updated estate documents.""
I thought about the stack of paperwork Bianca had brought to my office six weeks earlier.
She'd told me that some documents were routine changes required before marriage. She'd offered to organize them because I was overwhelmed with work.
I'd signed several pages after my assistant confirmed they were related to estate planning.
I hadn't read every line.
"Samuel, send me copies of everything I signed.""
"I will. But don't confront anyone until you see them.""
I almost laughed.
"That advice would have been useful an hour ago.""
When I ended the call, Rosalie was watching me.
"What happened?""
I told her.
She covered her mouth.
"Three million dollars?""
"From Livia's trust.""
Rosalie sat down heavily.
"Alessandro, Isabella would never have allowed anyone to touch that money without a fight.""
"I know.""
"Then we need that letter.""
I called Marco and told him to send a car to Rosalie's house. Then I asked him to make sure Bianca had left the estate and that nobody was allowed to enter Livia's room without my permission.
Before leaving, I returned to the library.
Livia was sitting beside the window, watching a white rose sway in the breeze.
"Daddy?"" she asked.
"Yes, baby?""
"Can we go home?""
I knelt beside her.
"Of course.""
"Can I take Mommy's butterfly clip?""
I carefully adjusted it in her hair.
"Always.""
She studied my face.
"Are the people downstairs still waiting for you?""
"Yes.""
"Will they be angry because you didn't marry Bianca?""
I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
"Some people might be disappointed. That's okay.""
"Are you disappointed?""
I looked at the little girl who had spent the morning believing she'd destroyed her father's future simply because she couldn't stop another adult from hurting her.
"No," I said.
"I'm disappointed that I didn't see what was happening sooner.""
She touched my cheek.
"That's okay, Daddy. You saw it now.""
I had to look away for a moment.
Then I lifted her into my arms.
Rosalie gathered our things, and we headed toward the private exit.
But we never reached the car.
Marco appeared at the end of the corridor, his expression grim.
"Sir, there's a problem.""
"What now?""
"Bianca hasn't left the property.""
I tightened my hold on Livia.
"Where is she?""
"She's in the main ballroom.""
"Doing what?""
Marco hesitated.
"She has a microphone. She's telling the guests that you've had a breakdown and that the wedding is temporarily delayed.""
My jaw clenched.
"Get the microphone away from her.""
"I tried. She says she'll leave only after you've heard what she has to say.""
"Then have her escorted out.""
Marco lowered his voice.
"There's something else, sir. She's showing people a document that she claims proves you promised her control over the family trust.""
I looked at Rosalie.
She was already shaking her head.
"That's a lie.""
"I know.""
Then Marco added the words that made my blood run cold.
"She's also telling everyone that Livia attacked her first.""
I felt my daughter stiffen in my arms.
"She said what?"" Rosalie whispered.
Marco looked toward the ballroom.
"Several guests are recording her. She's crying, saying she was only trying to protect herself.""
I looked down at Livia.
Her face had gone pale.
"She knows I'm here," my daughter whispered.
I held her closer.
"No one is going to hurt you.""
But as I walked toward the ballroom, I could hear Bianca's voice echoing through the speakers.
"And before Alessandro tells you his version of events," she announced, "there is something you all deserve to know about his daughter.""
The ballroom doors stood open.
May you like
Every guest was facing the stage.
And Bianca was holding a photograph of Livia.
