Chapter 3
Rocco reached the lower hall first.
Brenna stood beside the open front door.
Tobin was behind her holding his shark.
A woman stood outside.
Thirty-two.
Dark coat.
One hand holding a seven-year-old boy’s shoulder.
Celeste Vale.
Elliot.
The child carried no luggage.
That mattered.
Celeste’s eyes moved from Brenna to Rocco.
Then to Gavin coming down the stairs.
Her expression changed.
“You said she’d be gone.”
Brenna slowly turned toward her husband.
There are moments when betrayal stops being suspicion and becomes architecture.
Every previous lie suddenly has a room.
A door.
A purpose.
“You told her I’d be gone.”
Gavin stopped.
“Brenna.”
Celeste looked at him.
“What is happening?”
He did not answer.
She understood.
“You lied to me too.”
Sybil came downstairs.
“Celeste, come inside.”
Celeste pulled Elliot slightly backward.
“No.”
Sybil’s face tightened.
“We don’t have time for this.”
Brenna laughed.
The sound was empty.
“You packed my son’s bedroom for her child.”
Sybil looked at Tobin.
“He would have had another room.”
“He is three.”
“It is a room.”
“No.”
Brenna stepped closer.
“It is the place he sleeps when he is afraid.”
Sybil’s expression flickered.
Brenna continued.
“It is where I sit beside him when he has nightmares.”
She pointed toward the stairs.
“You shoved him onto the floor because you needed access to a wall.”
Sybil said nothing.
“You used my child for your revenge.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
The word came from Gavin.
Everyone looked at him.
His face had changed.
Something in him had finally broken away from his mother.
“You did.”
Sybil stared.
“Gavin.”
“You told me Tobin wouldn’t remember.”
Brenna’s face went cold.
“What?”
Gavin looked at her.
“I told her not to touch him.”
“That is your defense?”
“No.”
He closed his eyes.
“No.”
Celeste watched.
Elliot stood silently beside her.
Rocco looked at the boy.
The child was studying the Moretti crest carved over the fireplace.
Not frightened.
Curious.
Rocco crouched slightly.
“Elliot.”
Celeste stiffened.
Rocco lifted one hand.
“I’m not touching him.”
He looked at the boy.
“You found a fox?”
Elliot glanced at his mother.
Celeste nodded.
He reached beneath his shirt.
A chain.
On it hung an old brass token.
Black fox.
Rocco stopped.
Enzo had carried one exactly like it.
Not similar.
Exactly.
He stood.
“Where did you get that?”
“My dad.”
Celeste answered for him.
“Marcus gave it to Elliot before he died.”
“When?”
“Four years ago.”
Rocco stared.
“Marcus Vale Junior survived until four years ago.”
“Yes.”
“What killed him?”
Celeste’s expression darkened.
“A man who wanted this token.”
Rocco looked toward Gavin.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“And still brought them here.”
“I thought this was the only safe place.”
Brenna laughed again.
“Safe.”
Gavin flinched.
Celeste stepped toward Brenna.
“I did not know you were still together.”
Brenna stared.
“You knew he was married.”
“Yes.”
“He told you?”
“That the marriage was ending.”
“And you believed him.”
Celeste looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
Brenna nodded.
“No excuses?”
“No.”
That surprised her.
Celeste continued.
“I have enough enemies. I don’t need to turn another woman into one because a man lied.”
Gavin looked at her.
“Celeste.”
She ignored him.
Brenna looked toward Elliot.
“Did you tell your son Gavin was going to be his stepfather?”
Celeste’s silence answered.
Tobin whispered:
“Dad said Elliot was better.”
Everyone froze.
Gavin went pale.
Brenna turned.
“What?”
Tobin hugged the shark.
“Dad said Elliot knows how to be brave.”
Gavin stepped forward.
“Tobin, I didn’t—”
Rocco blocked him.
The look he gave Gavin was worse than violence.
“You compared your son to a child you were using to open a wall.”
Gavin shook his head.
“That isn’t what happened.”
“Then explain it.”
Gavin looked at Brenna.
“I thought Elliot had to feel welcome.”
“So you made Tobin feel replaceable.”
Silence.
Brenna wiped one tear before it fell.
Then looked at Celeste.
“You and Elliot can stay tonight.”
Gavin stared.
“Brenna.”
She did not look at him.
“Not because of you.”
Celeste nodded.
“Thank you.”
Brenna finally looked at Gavin.
“You sleep somewhere else.”
“This is my—”
He stopped.
Rocco smiled faintly.
“Finish it.”
Gavin did not.
Rocco looked toward the staircase.
“We open the wall tonight.”
Sybil’s expression changed.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Rocco studied her.
“You have spent years trying to open it.”
“Yes.”
“And now you don’t want it opened.”
Sybil’s hands trembled.
Celeste noticed.
“What’s behind it?”
Sybil shook her head.
Rocco stepped closer.
“What did Nolan tell you?”
“Nothing.”
“Lie.”
“He told me if the fox ever returned to the house…”
Her voice broke.
Rocco waited.
May you like
Sybil whispered:
“One of our sons would die.”
