Chapter 8
Vanessa stared at the waiter.
Then laughed.
“You’re senile.”
The man flinched.
She stepped toward him.
“You served my family fifteen years ago and now you think that qualifies you to invent memories?”
His eyes lowered.
Vanessa smiled.
“There.”
She looked around.
“Another hero suddenly grows a conscience because Alessandra brought an audience.”
Alessandra watched the waiter.
He was frightened.
Not uncertain.
Different thing.
“What did you see?”
Vanessa snapped:
“Don’t answer her.”
The room went silent.
Alessandra looked toward her.
Vanessa realized what she had done.
Too late.
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“Why can’t he answer?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Because this is ridiculous.”
The waiter swallowed.
“I wasn’t working here then.”
Alessandra waited.
“I was at the private maternity residence.”
Luca frowned.
Vanessa’s face hardened.
The waiter continued.
“My wife was a night nurse.”
“Vanessa came in after midnight.”
“She had a small silver bracelet.”
Alessandra stared.
“I never saw her.”
“She didn’t go into your room.”
He looked toward Vanessa.
“She spoke to someone at the nursery desk.”
Vanessa scoffed.
“Name them.”
The waiter hesitated.
“My wife.”
Silence.
Vanessa’s expression shifted.
The waiter continued.
“She told my wife the bracelet belonged to the child’s family.”
Alessandra’s breathing changed.
“What did she say exactly?”
The man looked down.
“That the boy deserved to wear something from his father even if the father would never know.”
The room went completely silent.
Luca turned toward Vanessa.
She held his gaze.
Still defiant.
Still refusing fear.
“You knew.”
He spoke quietly.
She lifted her chin.
“Yes.”
One word.
Everything changed.
Alessandra’s face went still.
Luca’s breathing became uneven.
“When?”
“Before he was born.”
“How?”
Vanessa smiled.
“You really need every answer fed to you?”
Luca took a step.
“How?”
She glanced at Alessandra.
“She called you.”
“She came to Chicago.”
“You think Ethan and I didn’t realize what pregnancy meant?”
Alessandra’s eyes narrowed.
“You knew the timing.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Luca could be the father.”
“Yes.”
“You put his bracelet with Tobin.”
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
That contradiction hung in the room.
Vanessa had blocked Alessandra.
Helped keep Tobin away.
Yet secretly placed Luca’s childhood bracelet beside the baby.
Why?
Luca asked.
Her eyes hardened.
For the first time the arrogance looked less simple.
“I wanted him to have one thing.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not a monster.”
Alessandra laughed softly.
Vanessa turned sharply.
“You think that’s funny?”
“Yes.”
Her voice stayed calm.
“You helped erase his father and then left him jewelry so you could feel better.”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“You don’t know what I felt.”
“No.”
Alessandra stepped closer.
“But I know what you did.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed.
“I saved my future.”
There.
The truth.
“I loved Luca.”
“Alessandra came back pregnant.”
Her voice sharpened.
“What was I supposed to do?”
Luca stared.
“Tell me.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
“You would have gone back.”
Silence.
That hurt because everyone knew she might be right.
Vanessa looked at Alessandra.
“And she knew it.”
Alessandra said nothing.
Vanessa smiled bitterly.
“That’s why she came to the garage instead of barging into his penthouse.”
“She wanted him to choose.”
Her eyes moved toward Luca.
“And I wasn’t going to let her give him the choice.”
Luca’s face hardened.
“You stole that from me.”
Vanessa laughed.
“You gave away your choices every time you let another man protect your ego.”
That landed.
Then Tobin whispered:
“Mom?”
Alessandra crouched.
He held out the paper lion.
“Can I give it now?”
She looked toward Luca.
Then back at Tobin.
“That’s your choice.”
Tobin walked across the floor.
Slowly.
The room watched.
He stopped in front of Luca.
Held up the lion.
“For sad.”
Luca’s hands shook when he took it.
He crouched.
“Thank you.”
Tobin studied his face.
Then asked:
“Are you my dad?”
Every person in the room stopped breathing.
Luca looked toward Alessandra.
She did not answer for him.
He looked back at Tobin.
“I don’t know yet.”
Tobin considered that.
“Okay.”
Then returned to Alessandra.
Simple.
No drama.
The adults were the complicated ones.
Luca stood.
“Why don’t we know?”
Alessandra met his gaze.
“Because I never tested him against you.”
“Why?”
“I didn't need a result to raise him.”
A pause.
“And you weren’t there to ask.”
Luca absorbed that.
Then Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Do it.”
Everyone looked at her.
Her smile returned.
Hard.
Confident.
“Go find out.”
Luca narrowed his eyes.
Vanessa pointed toward Tobin.
“I already know what you’ll learn.”
Alessandra stared.
“How?”
Vanessa’s lips curled.
“Because I saw the first test.”
Luca went still.
May you like
There had already been a paternity test.
And Vanessa had hidden that too.
