Chapter 4 - THE CHASE IN THE RAIN
A torrential autumn downpour had begun to lash against the towering wrought-iron gates of the Moretti estate, turning the manicured Chicago lawns into slick rivers of mud.
Luca strode out of the mansion's grand double doors into the freezing rain, his charcoal suit jacket soaked instantly, but his expression set in unyielding stone.
I watched from the safety of the pillared portico alongside Mrs. Carter, our breath pluming in the cold night air as the headlights of Vanessa's red sports car illuminated the swirling mist.
Her sleek vehicle had slammed violently into the heavy iron perimeter gate, the front bumper completely crushed against the reinforced steel bars.
The hazard lights blinked frantically in the dark, casting an eerie red glow across the slick pavement.
Luca walked toward the driver's side with slow, measured strides, his heavy leather shoes splashing through the puddles without a hint of hesitation.
Two armed security guards flanked him on either side, their hands resting cautiously near their holsters as they closed in on the trapped vehicle.
Inside the car, Vanessa was pressing furiously on the horn, her expensive diamond earrings catching the flashing red emergency lights as she whipped her head around in blind panic.
She shoved the car door open, stumbling out into the freezing rain with her silk gown soaked and clinging desperately to her shivering frame.
Luca! she shrieked, her voice cracking with a mixture of hysteria and theatrical rage as she ran toward him.
What the hell is the meaning of this? Your guards just locked down the entire perimeter like a prison camp!
Luca stood motionless in the pouring rain, letting her approach within two feet of him before he raised a single hand to stop her.
You tried to flee the property at ten-twenty at night, Vanessa, he said, his voice cutting through the roar of the thunder.
Without luggage, without your engagement ring, and without even saying goodbye to our guests.
Her chest heaved as she stared up at him, her manicured fingers digging frantically into the lapel of his soaked suit jacket.
I had a sudden panic attack! she lied smoothly, her eyes wide with feigned innocence and glistening tears.
The guests were suffocating, the atmosphere was oppressive, and I just needed to drive down to our downtown penthouse to clear my head!
Is that why you were attempting to access my father's private wall safe ten minutes before you ran for the car? Luca asked quietly.
Vanessa froze, the color draining completely from her face as her practiced lies fractured under the weight of undeniable truth.
Her lower lip trembled, and for a brief second, her mask of absolute confidence slipped away, revealing the desperate, cornered grifter underneath.
Who... who told you that? she whispered, her voice barely audible over the driving rain.
Megan told me, Luca replied smoothly.
And so did the security logs, and so did the surveillance cameras that captured you stealing Mrs. Carter's room key this afternoon.
Vanessa's eyes flashed with sudden, blinding fury as she realized the game was entirely up.
That little rat-faced maid! she screamed, pointing a trembling, manicured finger back toward the lit portico where I stood watching.
You're believing a filthy domestic servant over your own future wife?
She's a clumsy, blind thief who probably stole those heirlooms herself and tried to frame me!
Luca didn't flinch.
He reached slowly into the inside pocket of his soaked suit jacket and pulled out a thick, purple-wax-sealed envelope, holding it up so the headlights caught the embossed Moretti family crest.
He flipped the heavy parchment open, revealing the Zurich bank statements, the police records, and his late mother's final, damning warning letter detailing every single crime Vanessa had tried to bury.
Vanessa stared at the envelope in sheer, paralyzed horror, her breath hitching in her throat as she realized the very secret she had killed to keep hidden was now resting securely in the palm of the man she had tried to manipulate.
You spent four years erasing your trail across Europe, Vanessa, Luca said, his voice dropping into a register so cold it seemed to freeze the rain around them.
You seduced my father's business associates, you bled dry two elderly European aristocrats, and you thought you could finish your career by staging a tragic accident for me and seizing the Moretti fortune.
She stepped backward, slipping slightly on the slick pavement, her eyes darting frantically toward the locked iron gates behind her.
Luca... let me explain, she pleaded, her voice turning syrupy and desperate as she lunged forward to grab his arm.
We can fix this, darling! We're getting married in forty hours! Think of the scandal! Think of what the press will say about the Moretti family name!
The Moretti family name survived long before you arrived, Vanessa, and it will endure long after you are gone, he replied, gently but firmly brushing her hand away as if she were nothing more than dirt beneath his shoe.
He turned his head toward the waiting security detail.
Daniel, escort Miss Bellini off the property immediately.
Confiscate every piece of jewelry, every designer dress, and every financial asset she acquired during her stay in this house.
And if she ever sets foot within fifty miles of Chicago again, make sure she understands the consequences before she even reaches the city limits.
No! Vanessa shrieked as two burly security guards grabbed her firmly by the arms, dragging her kicking and screaming away from the gates toward a waiting black SUV.
May you like
You can't do this to me, Luca! You'll regret this! You'll—
Her frantic screams were abruptly cut off as the heavy vehicle doors slammed shut, and the SUV peeled out into the stormy night, disappearing down the dark coastal highway forever.
