Chapter 2 - THE SHADOWS OF THE LIBRARY
Margaret Carter had served the Moretti family faithfully for twenty-seven years, outlasting shifting criminal syndicates, corporate expansions, and family tragedies.
She had gently wiped Luca's skinned knees when he was a boy, stayed vigil by his mother's bedside through the agonizing final months of her terminal illness, and managed the vast Chicago estate with an iron fist and a heart of pure gold.
She was the one person in the world whom Luca Moretti trusted unconditionally, never once questioning her judgment, her loyalty, or her integrity.
Vanessa Bellini knew that bond better than anyone.
And she knew that as long as Margaret Carter walked the halls of this mansion, her own dark, manipulative plans for the Moretti empire would never truly be secure.
Luca slowly lowered the phone to its cradle, the plastic casing cracking slightly under the immense pressure of his grip.
He rose from his leather executive chair, his tall frame casting a long, menacing shadow across the bookshelves.
Bring Megan to my study the moment Dr. Harris clears her from the medical wing, he ordered into the intercom before turning toward the heavy oak doors.
Twenty minutes later, I stood nervously outside the study, a small, discreet flesh-colored bandage neatly pressed beneath my left eye where Dr. Harris had applied antiseptic and steri-strips.
When I timidly tapped on the heavy wood and pushed the door open, Luca was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out into the moonlit gardens.
He turned around slowly, his eyes sweeping over my bandaged face with a look that was entirely devoid of the cold indifference he typically showed the outside world.
He walked over to his mahogany desk, picked up a sleek, embossed business card lying beside his blotter, and slid it toward me across the polished surface.
The black lettering read: Patricia Wells — Elite Private Household Staffing & Executive Placements, Evanston.
My face went deathly pale, the blood draining entirely from my cheeks.
Megan, Luca said quietly, his voice dangerously low.
Was this woman inside the library with Vanessa this afternoon?
I swallowed hard, my throat feeling like sandpaper as I nodded slowly.
Yes, sir.
Luca leaned his weight forward against the edge of the desk, closing the distance between us.
What on earth was she discussing with Vanessa?
My voice trembled so violently I could barely force the words past my lips.
She came... she came to interview for Mrs. Carter's position.
Luca's jaw tightened until the muscles flexed visibly beneath his skin.
Did Vanessa ever inform you or anyone else that Mrs. Carter was resigning or retiring?
I shook my head frantically.
No, sir, absolutely not.
Then why in God's name was my fiancée secretly interviewing for her replacement behind my back?
I looked toward the heavy closed door of the study, as if expecting Vanessa to burst through at any second.
Vanessa told Mrs. Wells that you wanted a younger, more modern housekeeper installed right after the wedding ceremony on Saturday, I whispered.
For several agonizing seconds, Luca didn't move a single muscle.
I never uttered such a command in my life, he stated coldly.
I know, sir, I murmured, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.
He studied my bandaged face, his gaze softening slightly before hardening back into steel.
Now tell me the truth about what happened to your glasses, Megan.
How did you really get that cut?
I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hands twisting nervously into the fabric of my apron.
I was carrying a stack of rare historical ledgers back to the library shelves when I heard raised voices coming from behind the reading partition.
What were they arguing about? Luca asked, leaning in closer.
Mrs. Wells was questioning Vanessa about the sudden dismissal, asking why Mrs. Carter was being discarded after twenty-seven years of flawless service without your direct authorization.
Luca's expression grew stormy.
And what did Vanessa say to that?
My voice broke, a sob catching in my chest.
She said Mrs. Carter had become a liability, that she was old, unreliable, and... and that she'd been stealing valuable items from the house.
Luca's fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned stark white.
Stealing what kind of items?
I shook my head, tears finally spilling over my lashes.
She didn't specify at first, sir.
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.
But Mrs. Wells demanded to know if there was any tangible proof of the theft.
Luca waited, his breathing deep and controlled.
What happened next?
Vanessa walked over to the bottom drawer of your late father's mahogany executive desk, I whispered.
My stomach knotted into a painful cramp at the memory.
She unlocked it with a small brass key she had taken from your study drawer earlier, and she pulled out a small, antique velvet jewelry box.
Luca went completely, terrifyingly still.
He knew that specific velvet box better than anyone.
It had belonged to his mother, containing her most cherished, irreplaceable heirlooms—pieces meant to be passed down to his future wife, or kept as sacred family relics.
And? Luca prompted, his voice barely a whisper.
She showed it to Mrs. Wells, I continued, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
She told her that you were going to 'discover' those missing heirlooms hidden inside Mrs. Carter's private quarters right after the engagement dinner tonight.
For a long, dreadful moment, the study was enveloped in total silence.
Then Luca slowly reached out, grabbed his smartphone, and tapped the speaker button.
Daniel, find Mrs. Carter immediately and bring her to the study, he commanded.
And have two of our best men discreetly search the guest quarters assigned to Mrs. Carter—make sure she hasn't been set up with anything planted in her room.
He glanced toward the heavy mahogany doors.
And under no circumstances are you to let Vanessa know what we are doing.
He was about to place the phone down when I let out a sharp, involuntary gasp, my hands flying to my mouth.
Mr. Moretti, wait, I choked out.
Luca paused, turning his piercing gaze back to me.
What is it, Megan?
There's... there's something else, I stammered, my whole body shaking.
What else could there possibly be? he demanded, stepping around the desk.
When Mrs. Wells asked why Vanessa wanted to frame Mrs. Carter for a crime she didn't commit, Vanessa laughed, I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks.
She told her it wasn't really about the stolen jewelry at all.
Luca slowly lowered his phone, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
What was it really about, Megan?
I took a deep, shuddering breath, reciting the words that had turned my blood to ice in the library earlier that afternoon.
She said Mrs. Carter had accidentally stumbled upon something she shouldn't have seen while cleaning your mother's personal wardrobe trunk last week.
Luca stared at me, dumbfounded for a fraction of a second.
What did she find?
I don't know the exact contents, sir, I sobbed.
But Mrs. Wells asked whether Mrs. Carter had already leaked it to you.
And what did Vanessa reply?
I closed my eyes, terrified of the answer, but forcing myself to speak the truth.
She said no, Mrs. Carter hadn't told you yet because she was too loyal and shocked to believe it.
Then Vanessa told Mrs. Wells that she needed Mrs. Carter physically and professionally out of the house before Saturday morning at all costs.
Luca took a sharp step forward, his voice dropping into a lethal, quiet growl.
Why before Saturday? What happens on Saturday?
I hesitated, my chest heaving as I repeated the final, damning sentence I had overheard through the crack in the bookshelf.
Because Vanessa said Mrs. Carter had found a hidden letter your mother wrote about her past before she died.
May you like
My voice dropped to a terrified whisper.
And Vanessa said that if you ever read that letter before the wedding ceremony, your marriage to her would be completely, irrevocably over.
