Chapter 2
Vittorio ordered the dining salon closed.
No one left.
Not the capos.
Not the servants.
Not Celeste.
Not Marco.
Mia stayed with Anna.
Vittorio wanted the child upstairs.
Mia refused.
She clung to her mother’s skirt.
Anna whispered:
“She gets frightened when I’m not where she can see me.”
Vittorio looked at her.
“Why?”
Anna’s eyes moved toward Celeste.
That was enough.
He brought mother and daughter into the adjoining breakfast room.
Smaller.
Private.
Two guards outside.
Vittorio placed a plate of warm bread and soup in front of Anna.
She stared at it.
Didn’t touch anything.
“Eat.”
Her eyes lifted.
Not relief.
Fear.
“I’m allowed?”
Vittorio’s jaw tightened.
“Who told you that you weren’t?”
Anna looked toward the door.
Mia answered.
“Miss Celeste.”
Anna closed her eyes.
Vittorio crouched near the child.
“What does Miss Celeste say?”
Mia looked at her mother.
Anna whispered:
“It’s okay.”
Mia thought carefully.
“Mommy eats after everybody.”
Vittorio remained still.
“And if there isn’t anything left?”
Mia shrugged.
“She waits tomorrow.”
Anna looked ashamed.
Vittorio hated that most.
The victim carrying the shame of the person hurting her.
He looked at Anna.
“How long?”
“Months.”
“How many?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Celeste said staff meals were a privilege.”
Vittorio’s face hardened.
“This is my house.”
Anna stared at the soup.
“She said she ran it when you were away.”
That was true.
Celeste hosted dinners.
Managed staff.
Controlled household schedules.
Vittorio had given her authority.
She had turned it downward.
“How often did she make you taste my drinks?”
Anna’s fingers curled.
“Five times.”
Vittorio’s eyes narrowed.
“Five?”
Anna nodded.
“The first two tasted normal.”
“And the others?”
“Bitter.”
“Blue dust?”
“Only the last two.”
Mia touched her mother’s wrist.
Anna continued.
“The first time I saw the blue powder, Celeste told me it was mineral residue.”
“What happened after you tasted it?”
“I got dizzy.”
“How long?”
“An hour.”
“Anything else?”
“My hands tingled.”
Vittorio looked at her irritated skin.
“And those?”
Anna pulled her hands under the table.
“Cleaning.”
“What were you cleaning?”
Silence.
Mia answered again.
“The blue room.”
Anna turned sharply.
“Mia.”
The child stopped.
Vittorio leaned forward.
“What blue room?”
Anna swallowed.
“There isn’t a blue room.”
Mia frowned.
“Yes.”
Anna’s breathing changed.
“She means a supply room.”
“Where?”
Anna hesitated.
Vittorio waited.
No shouting.
No threat.
She finally answered.
“Behind the old butler pantry.”
Vittorio knew the area.
A narrow service section between the kitchen and wine corridor.
Used mostly for storage.
“Why were you cleaning it?”
“Celeste said there was a spill.”
“What spilled?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was it blue?”
Anna nodded.
“How much?”
Her face tightened.
“A lot.”
“How long did she make you scrub?”
“Six hours.”
Mia interrupted.
“Mommy cried.”
Anna looked down.
Vittorio’s eyes returned to her hands.
Six hours in chemical residue.
No gloves.
No proper supplies.
No medical care.
He asked:
“Why didn’t you stop?”
Anna almost smiled.
Not because anything was funny.
“Celeste locked the door.”
Vittorio went completely still.
Mia rested her head against her mother’s arm.
Anna continued quietly.
“She said if I didn’t finish before morning, Mia would lose her room.”
There it was.
Food.
Shelter.
Her child.
Every basic need turned into a leash.
Vittorio stood.
Anna immediately looked frightened.
“Please don’t confront her in front of Mia.”
He looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Celeste gets worse afterward.”
The words landed harder than an accusation.
Afterward.
Meaning this had happened before.
Many times.
Vittorio walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
“One more question.”
Anna waited.
“When you tasted the drink with the blue powder, what did Celeste say?”
Anna looked toward Mia.
Then answered.
“She laughed.”
Vittorio said nothing.
Anna’s voice lowered.
“She said if I fell first, everyone would assume the stupid maid mixed something wrong.”
Vittorio’s hand closed around the doorknob.
“And Marco?”
Anna went pale.
“He was there.”
“What did he say?”
She hesitated.
Then repeated it exactly.
“He said, ‘Good. If she dies, we only lose a servant.’”
Vittorio opened the door.
Behind him, Mia whispered:
“Mommy?”
Anna pulled her daughter close.
Vittorio looked back once.
The fear on Anna’s face was no longer fear of Celeste.
It was fear of what Vittorio might discover next.
May you like
Because five poisoned drinks meant this had not started tonight.
Someone had been testing something inside his house for weeks.
