The Bride Who Tried to Destroy My Daughter

Marco reached for his radio before we'd even stepped out of the car.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered.

I ignored him and moved toward the house.

Rosalie caught my arm.

“Alessandro, wait. We don't know who's inside.””

“Someone has been searching for Isabella's things. I'm not leaving until I know whether Livia is safe.””

“Livia is with the driver,” Marco said.

“I'll take two officers inside first.””

He signaled to the security team.

Two men entered through the open doorway while another moved around the side of the house.

I stood on the front steps with Rosalie, listening to footsteps and low voices.

Then Marco called out.

“Sir, the house is clear.””

I entered immediately.

The hallway smelled of lavender and fresh dust. A vase lay shattered beside the staircase. Someone had pulled open the cabinets beneath the console table, scattering envelopes and old photographs across the floor.

Rosalie hurried toward the study.

“Oh, no.””

The door stood open.

Inside, Isabella's writing desk had been dragged away from the wall. Its drawers hung crookedly, and a small wooden box lay overturned beside the chair.

The locked compartment at the bottom had been forced open.

I crouched beside it.

The brass lock was broken.

Someone had used a screwdriver or another narrow tool to pry the metal plate from the wood.

“What were they looking for?”” I asked.

Rosalie knelt beside the desk.

“The original letter. Isabella said she would leave something inside this compartment.””

“What?””

“She never told me.””

I turned toward her.

“Rosalie, how many more secrets did my wife leave behind?””

She looked devastated.

“I don't know.””

I wanted to be angry with her. Part of me still was.

But seeing Isabella's desk torn apart felt like watching someone break into her grave.

I picked up a photograph from the floor.

It showed Isabella standing beside a woman I'd never seen before. They were both young, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, smiling in front of a brick building.

Isabella wore the gold ring Livia had found.

The other woman wore an identical one.

On the back, Isabella had written two words.

For Elena.

I showed it to Rosalie.

"Do you know who Elena is?""

Rosalie stared at the photograph for a long moment.

Then she shook her head.

"No. But I remember Isabella mentioning a friend from before she met you. She rarely talked about her.""

"Why?""

"Whenever I asked, she changed the subject.""

I slipped the photograph into my pocket.

"Then we're going to find out.""

Marco entered the study carrying a small evidence bag.

"We found this in the garden, near the side gate.""

Inside the bag was a broken piece of black plastic.

I recognized it immediately.

It was part of the casing from Bianca's electric clippers.

Marco watched my expression.

"She may have come here after leaving the estate. The side gate was forced, but there are no signs of anyone leaving through the front.""

I stared at the broken plastic.

"How long ago?""

"The groundskeeper heard a car around twenty minutes before we arrived.""

Rosalie looked toward the window.

"She knew we'd come here.""

I turned to Marco.

"Check every road leading away from this property. I want to know where Bianca went.""

He nodded.

Then my phone rang.

Samuel.

"Alessandro, I found something in the original trust documents.""

"Tell me.""

"The trust was established with an unusual clause. If you died or became permanently incapacitated before Livia turned eighteen, an independent administrator would take control of her inheritance. Neither your spouse nor a future guardian could access the principal without court approval.""

"That's exactly what I intended.""

"Yes. But the documents were amended six weeks ago. The amendment would allow a spouse named in your marriage certificate to petition for immediate control of the trust.""

I looked at the broken desk.

"Bianca.""

"Her name appears in the proposed amendment. The document is not valid because the required witnesses never signed it, but someone made a serious attempt to prepare it for execution.""

"Did I sign anything related to it?""

"Not the amendment itself. However, the supporting documents include an authorization that appears to bear your signature.""

I closed my eyes.

"Another forged document?""

"Most likely.""

"Can you connect the upload to Bianca?""

"I'm tracing the digital records. But there's another name appearing repeatedly in the paperwork.""

"Whose?""

"Adrian Bellini.""

I felt the room go cold.

"Who is Adrian Bellini?""

"He's the managing director of Bellini Family Holdings. The same company listed as the receiving account in the attempted transfer.""

I looked at Rosalie.

She had gone completely still.

"Do you know him?"" I asked.

She didn't answer.

"Rosalie.""

Her lips parted.

"Adrian Bellini was Isabella's first fiancé.""

The words seemed to strike the walls.

I stared at her.

"Isabella was engaged before she met me?""

"Yes.""

"Why didn't she tell me?""

"Because the engagement ended badly. She was young, and her family didn't want her marrying into the Bellini family.""

"What happened?""

Rosalie shook her head.

"I only know fragments. Isabella and Adrian were together for about a year. Their families had business connections, and everyone expected them to marry. Then something happened, and Isabella broke it off.""

"What happened to the ring?""

Rosalie looked at the gold ring in the evidence bag.

"Maybe she gave it back. Maybe she kept it. I don't know.""

I thought of the letter.

Ask Bianca what happened to my first wedding ring.

"Why would Bianca have it?""

Rosalie stared at the floor.

"Maybe because she knows Adrian.""

The possibility made my skin crawl.

I called Samuel again.

"Find everything you can about Adrian Bellini and his relationship with Isabella. I want financial records, business connections, court filings, anything.""

"Understood.""

"And find out whether Bianca has any official role in Bellini Family Holdings.""

"I'll check.""

I ended the call.

Then I noticed something beneath the desk.

A small strip of white paper had been wedged into the gap between the floorboards.

I pulled it free.

It contained only one line, written in Isabella's handwriting.

If the first ring is returned, the second betrayal has already begun.

I read it twice.

"What does that mean?"" I whispered.

Rosalie took the paper from me.

Her fingers trembled.

"I don't know.""

But the look on her face told me she was afraid of something specific.

I gripped her shoulders.

"Look at me. If you know anything, tell me now.""

She shook her head.

"I swear I don't know what that sentence means. I only know Isabella was terrified during her final weeks. She kept asking whether anyone had contacted me about the Bellinis.""

"Did anyone?""

"Not until Bianca started asking questions about Isabella's estate.""

"When?""

"Three months after you introduced us.""

I stepped back.

Bianca had entered our lives fourteen months ago.

Three months into our relationship, she'd begun asking about my late wife's estate.

I'd thought she was simply trying to understand the family she'd joined.

Now every memory felt contaminated.

A sound came from the hallway.

Livia appeared in the doorway, clutching her blanket.

"Rosie?""

Rosalie immediately went to her.

"Sweetheart, you should be in the car.""

"I heard you talking about Mommy.""

She looked at me.

"Are you going to find the bad person?""

I knelt in front of her.

"I'm going to find the truth.""

"Will the truth make my hair grow back?""

The question caught me off guard.

"No, baby. But it will help us make sure nobody hurts you again.""

She looked down at the gold ring.

"Is that Mommy's?""

"Yes.""

"Why did Bianca give it to me?""

I brushed her cheek.

"I don't know yet.""

Livia hesitated.

"She said it was a magic ring. She said if I kept it secret, I could help make you happy.""

My stomach tightened.

"What exactly did she say?""

Livia frowned, concentrating.

"She said Mommy had a secret. She said if I helped her, you wouldn't be sad anymore.""

I exchanged a glance with Rosalie.

"Did she tell you what you needed to do?""

Livia nodded.

"She said I had to give the ring to you on your wedding day. And then I had to ask you to sign a paper.""

"What paper?""

"I don't know. She said it was a grown-up paper. She said you'd be happy because it would make our family complete.""

I felt cold all over.

Bianca hadn't merely been trying to gain control of Livia's trust.

She'd been using my daughter to deliver the ring and possibly obtain another signature.

She'd deliberately placed Livia between herself and the truth.

I pulled my daughter into my arms.

"You never have to keep secrets like that from me again, sweetheart. Not if someone tells you to hide something that makes you uncomfortable.""

She nodded against my chest.

"Even if they say you'll be sad?""

"Especially then.""

Marco's radio crackled.

He stepped into the study.

"Sir, we've located Bianca's vehicle.""

"Where?""

"At the private airfield outside the city. The car is parked beside a hangar owned by Bellini Family Holdings.""

I stood.

"Has she boarded a plane?""

"Not yet. But there's an aircraft scheduled to depart within the hour.""

I looked at the photograph of Isabella and the woman named Elena.

Then I looked at the ring.

Bianca had run straight to the people connected to Isabella's past.

"Call the police," I told Marco.

"Tell them we have evidence of attempted financial fraud and suspected document forgery. Then get us to that airfield.""

Rosalie grabbed my arm.

"Alessandro, you can't go there without knowing what you're walking into.""

I looked at her.

"I've spent two years believing my wife left nothing behind except memories. Today I discovered someone has been trying to steal from my daughter using documents connected to her estate.""

I put the photograph into my pocket.

"And now I know Bianca has been talking to Isabella's former fiancé.""

Rosalie's face crumpled.

"Please be careful.""

I kissed Livia's forehead.

"Stay with Aunt Rosie. Marco will keep you safe.""

She caught my hand.

"Promise you'll come back?""

I looked into her eyes.

"I promise.""

Then I walked out of the study.

As I reached the front door, my phone vibrated with a message from an unknown number.