Chapter 3 - The Letter From a Dead Woman|
My father did not open the door immediately.
He watched the stranger through the glass, then looked at me with an expression I had seen only once before: the night my mother had been taken into emergency surgery.
“Do you recognize the handwriting?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you know she had written you a letter?”
“No.”
My mother took my hand.
“Then we should find out why someone is bringing it to you now.”
My father opened the door but kept the security chain fastened.
The stranger introduced himself as Daniel Cross. He was in his early forties, neatly dressed, with tired eyes and a thin scar along his jaw.
“I worked for Mrs. Moretti,” he said. “Before she passed away.”
“My mother-in-law had an entire household staff,” I replied. “Why would she leave something with you?”
“Because she believed I was the only person who could deliver it without Mr. Moretti discovering it.”
The words chilled me.
My father removed the chain.
Daniel stepped inside and handed me the envelope. He did not ask for a reward or offer an explanation. He only said, “Please read it alone.”
Then he left.
I carried the envelope upstairs to my old bedroom. My mother followed me to the door but stayed outside when I asked for privacy.
Inside, I broke the seal.
The letter was dated six weeks before my mother-in-law’s death.
My dear Elena,
If you are reading this, then I have failed to protect you from a truth I should have shared before you married my son.
Roberto loves you. I believe that much is real. But love has never been enough to control the darkness surrounding our family.
Your husband has inherited more than money and businesses. He has inherited a secret connected to the Moretti estate, a missing account, and a man whose disappearance was blamed on the wrong person.
There are documents bearing your signature that you may not recognize. Do not assume they are harmless because someone tells you they are routine.
If Roberto asks you to return to the house, do not go alone.
I read the last line twice.
Then I turned the page over, hoping there would be more.
There was a second sheet folded behind the first.
It contained a name.
Bianca Vale.
Below it, in my mother-in-law’s handwriting, were the words:
She knows where the original ledger is hidden.
I sat on the edge of the bed.
For the first time, I wondered whether Bianca’s presence in my wardrobe had been more than an affair. Perhaps she had been looking for something.
Perhaps the dinner had been a cover.
I returned to the kitchen with the letter in my hand. My parents were waiting.
My father read it slowly.
“Do you remember the property forms?” he asked.
“One was for a warehouse in South Chicago. Roberto said his legal department needed my authorization because I was listed as his emergency trustee.”
“Did you sign it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you receive a copy?”
“No.”
My father rubbed his forehead.
“That was a mistake.”
“I know.”
“No, sweetheart. I’m not blaming you. I’m saying someone may have used your trust to put you into a situation you never agreed to.”
My phone rang.
Roberto again.
I answered before I could change my mind.
“Did you know your mother left me a letter?”
He went quiet.
That was answer enough.
“What did she tell you?” he asked.
“Nothing you seem eager to explain.”
“Elena, listen to me. My mother was ill. She became suspicious of everyone near the end.”
“Did I sign documents connected to a missing account?”
His silence lasted too long.
“Come home,” he said finally. “I’ll explain everything.”
“I’m not coming back.”
“You don’t understand what you’re involved in.”
“Then explain it now.”
“I can’t.”
“Won’t.”
He lowered his voice.
“There are people who would hurt you just to get to me. You need my protection.”
I looked at the letter.
“Then why am I finding out about them from a dead woman?”
Roberto had no answer.
I ended the call.
A minute later, a message arrived from Daniel Cross.
Your husband is not the only one searching for the ledger. Bianca has been working with someone inside his organization.
May you like
Before I could respond, a second message appeared.
And Elena—your name is on the account they're trying to empty.
