Chapter 3 - THE FIANCÉE'S PERFECT EXCUSE|
Vanessa waited in Luca's study.
When he entered, she was standing beside his desk with a glass of water in her hand. The red gown that had looked so elegant during dinner now seemed like armor she had forgotten how to remove.
She set the glass down.
“Before you say anything, I want you to understand that I love Sophie.”
Luca closed the door.
“Then explain why she was crying and begging Claire not to make her dance.”
“I never told Claire to force her to dance.”
“You supervised the rehearsals.”
“Yes, because I was helping her prepare.”
“For how long?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“An hour or two.”
“Claire says nearly two hours after Sophie told you she was hurt.”
“She exaggerated.”
“Did Sophie fall?”
Vanessa looked away.
“She lost her balance.”
“Did you stop the rehearsal?”
“She said she was fine.”
“She's eleven, Vanessa. Children say they're fine because they don't want adults to be disappointed.”
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“You're acting as if I deliberately injured her.”
“I haven't decided what you did. That's why I'm asking.”
She crossed her arms.
“I wanted her to feel included in our wedding. I thought a dance would help her accept that I was becoming part of the family.”
“You chose her mother's song without asking her.”
“I thought it would be meaningful.”
“You arranged an audition for a school in another state without discussing it with me.”
Vanessa's mouth tightened.
“The academy is exceptional.”
“That wasn't my question.”
She exhaled sharply.
“Luca, you work eighteen hours a day. Someone has to think about Sophie's future.”
“I have never asked you to make decisions about her future without me.”
“Because you don't want to think about anything that reminds you of Caroline!”
The accusation hung between them.
Luca went silent.
Vanessa took a step closer.
“You keep her mother's photographs everywhere. You keep the piano exactly as it was. You let Sophie spend every Saturday at that little neighborhood studio because it's where Caroline took her. You think keeping everything unchanged is protecting her.”
“Don't use Caroline to justify what happened tonight.”
“I'm trying to help you move forward.”
“By sending my daughter away?”
“By giving her an opportunity!”
He stared at her.
“An opportunity she doesn't want.”
Vanessa's voice cracked.
“She doesn't want me, either. Every time I try to help her, she looks at me as if I'm stealing something.”
Luca studied her.
“Have you considered that she might be afraid of losing her father?”
“I am not trying to replace her mother.”
“Then stop asking her to prove she accepts you.”
Vanessa looked toward the window.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she said, “You promised me a future, Luca. I have spent two years trying to build a family with you. I thought you wanted that.”
“I do.”
“Then you need to decide whether you trust me.”
He looked at her.
“Trust isn't something you demand after a child tells you she's afraid of you.”
Vanessa's face changed.
“She's a child. She doesn't understand adult relationships.”
“She's my child. Understanding her is my responsibility.”
He opened the study door.
“Until the doctor confirms she's safe, you will not be alone with Sophie. We will discuss the engagement after I know the full truth.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You're choosing a housemaid's word over mine?”
“No,” Luca replied. “I'm choosing to investigate what happened instead of pretending it didn't.”
She followed him into the hall.
“You'll regret humiliating me.”
Luca stopped.
“Vanessa, I have spent years making excuses for people I wanted to trust. I won't make another one at my daughter's expense.”
He walked away.
Behind him, Vanessa remained motionless.
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone.
She dialed a number that was not saved under a name.
“He knows about the academy,” she whispered.
A man's voice answered.
“Did the girl say anything?”
Vanessa glanced toward the staircase.
“Yes.”
“What did she tell him?”
“Enough to ruin everything.”
The man was silent.
Then he said, “Then we move the wedding forward.”
Vanessa's fingers tightened around the phone.
“What?”
“Your original plan is finished. We need the marriage before Luca discovers what the girl has.”
She stared into the dark hallway.
“What does Sophie have?”
May you like
The man answered with a sentence that made Vanessa's face turn white.
“Something her mother died trying to protect.”
