Chapter 13
The letter was not addressed to Matteo.
It was addressed to Elena.
Written years earlier.
Never delivered.
Veronica had apparently kept it inside Elena’s correspondence box and later hidden it among Lily’s things during one of her searches.
Matteo read it alone.
Veronica apologized for warning Richard.
She wrote that Elena had trusted her and she had failed.
She admitted she was terrified Richard would lose his company, his home, and possibly face prosecution.
One line stopped Matteo.
I keep telling myself I chose my brother, but really I chose the person whose anger frightened me less.
Matteo read it again.
Veronica had betrayed Elena because she feared Richard’s collapse.
Then later she betrayed Lily because she feared losing Matteo.
Her life had become a chain of choices made around whichever powerful person she could least bear to lose.
That did not excuse her.
It made her motive human enough to hurt.
Matteo agreed to one final conversation.
Veronica arrived without jewelry.
Without Richard.
Her hands remained locked together.
Matteo placed the old letter in front of her.
She stared at it.
“I forgot that existed.”
“You wrote the truth once.”
Veronica’s eyes filled.
“And then spent years hiding it.”
“Yes.”
Matteo leaned back.
“Did you ever intend to tell me?”
Her lips parted.
She tried to answer.
Stopped.
Her breathing became unsteady.
Finally:
“After the wedding.”
Matteo’s gaze hardened.
Veronica lowered her eyes.
“No. That's another lie.”
Silence.
She wiped her face.
“I kept moving the moment.”
“Why?”
“Because every good day with you made the truth more expensive.”
Matteo looked toward the window.
Veronica continued.
“I loved Lily too.”
He turned back.
“No.”
Her face collapsed.
“You loved the version of Lily who didn't threaten what you wanted.”
Veronica covered her mouth.
Matteo did not soften the sentence.
She needed to hear it.
Then she whispered:
“I never thought I would become someone who could chain a child.”
Matteo’s eyes stayed on her.
“Neither did Elena.”
Veronica closed her eyes.
The relationship ended there.
But before she left, she gave Matteo one final piece of truth.
Richard had not been the person who ordered Elena’s correspondence box removed after the funeral.
May you like
Veronica had.
And she had done it using authorization from Matteo himself.
