Chapter 5
The next discovery came from the birthday planner.
Selena had asked for a complete list of Ava’s presents before the party.
That was not unusual for an adult organizing a child’s birthday.
The comments attached to the list were.
Most gifts received ordinary notes.
Books — okay.
Dollhouse — playroom.
Art set — supervise.
Beside Donato’s gift:
Ask D what it is.
Then, later:
Likely Isabella item.
Donato looked at Rebecca.
“How did she know?”
They traced it.
A jeweler had called the estate two weeks earlier to confirm delivery of a restored child’s bracelet.
The call was routed through household administration.
Selena happened to be present.
She asked the assistant which jeweler.
The assistant told her.
Selena recognized the name because Donato had used the same jeweler to restore Isabella’s wedding pieces after her death.
That gave her a reasonable guess.
Not certainty.
Enough.
Then Luca texted Selena that evening:
If he’s giving her another memorial piece, don’t turn it into a fight.
Selena replied:
Everything is always about a dead woman.
Luca:
Then handle it smarter.
Nothing there planned violence.
Nothing mentioned a pool.
But the resentment was explicit.
Rebecca continued reading.
Two days later:
SELENA: She calls for Isabella when she’s angry at me.
LUCA: She’s three. She’s testing what still has power.
SELENA: Donato always gives in.
LUCA: Then the problem isn’t the child.
Donato stared at the last line.
“The problem isn’t the child.”
Rebecca nodded.
“What do you think he means?”
“I don’t know yet.”
But the sentence bothered him.
Luca had never been especially interested in Ava before the engagement.
He was a family associate because Selena’s relationship with Donato placed him near the organization.
He attended social functions.
Helped coordinate business relationships.
Joined some legitimate company meetings.
Still, why would a thirty-nine-year-old man care whether a toddler clung to memories of her mother?
The obvious answer was his sister.
He wanted Selena happy.
That might be all.
Then Donato’s scheduler produced six months of calendar changes.
Luca had repeatedly suggested wedding-planning meetings immediately after Donato’s morning time with Ava.
Whenever Ava became upset and Donato stayed longer, Luca recorded the delay.
At first the notes looked operational.
Then one appeared:
Ava interruption — 22 minutes. Again.
Again.
Not concern.
May you like
Annoyance.
The child’s access to her father had been measured as lost executive time.
