Chapter 5
Vittorio remembered signing the authorization.
Bernadette had complained that estate staff treated her like a guest.
She was sixty-six.
Senior family.
His father’s surviving sister.
Giving her access had seemed respectful.
Now Luca had paid for it.
Vittorio revoked the authority before breakfast.
Bernadette watched him sign the order.
“You think removing my access changes what you've become?”
His pen stopped.
“What have I become?”
She smiled.
“A father who mistakes softness for leadership.”
Vittorio’s eyes remained on the paper.
Bernadette leaned forward.
“The old Vittorio would never let a maid dictate how his son is raised.”
Maria's shoulders tightened.
Vittorio did not look at her.
“This isn't about Maria.”
“It always becomes about people beneath us with you now.”
There.
The contempt was real.
But Vittorio sensed it was also useful.
Bernadette wanted him angry about class.
She did not want him asking about motive.
So he did the opposite.
“What was Nico doing in your car?”
Bernadette’s smile faded.
Vittorio waited.
A long silence.
Then she stood.
“If Nico wants to destroy himself, let him.”
She reached for her handbag.
A bodyguard blocked the door.
Bernadette’s nostrils flared.
Vittorio looked toward the security director.
“Check every day Bernadette changed Luca’s schedule.”
The review took hours.
The pattern was consistent.
Maria was removed.
Bernadette gained access.
Luca became ill.
Then something even stranger appeared.
After each episode, Bernadette sent an email to the Rossetti family welfare committee.
Not accusing anyone.
Simply documenting “concerns.”
Poor appetite.
Abdominal pain.
Weak supervision.
A child distressed under Vittorio’s household staff.
May you like
The first email had been written three days before Luca ever became sick.
Bernadette had documented the problem before she created it.
