Chapter 3
The charity concert ended two hours late.
Bianca and Owen never returned to the foyer.
Daniel had instructed security to escort them out through the service entrance.
By midnight, photographs of overturned chairs and acoustic panels had already reached several donors through private group texts.
Nothing was public yet.
That would not last.
Vittorio took Nico home to their Gold Coast townhouse.
His son refused to let anyone throw away the broken airplane.
“Can you fix it?”
Vittorio looked at the crushed wing.
“I can try.”
“No.”
Nico held it closer.
“I want Mommy’s glue.”
Claire’s old craft box still sat in a cabinet in her study.
Vittorio had not opened it since she died.
He carried Nico upstairs.
Inside the box were paintbrushes, wood glue, masking tape, several unfinished craft projects and a stack of index cards covered in Claire’s handwriting.
Nico pointed immediately.
“That one.”
Vittorio took out the glue.
An index card stuck beneath the bottle came with it.
On the card Claire had written:
ASK RACHEL ABOUT OWEN’S VENDOR NUMBERS BEFORE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
Vittorio read it twice.
There was no date.
But Claire’s handwriting grew shaky during the last months of chemotherapy, and this card had the steadier script she used earlier in her illness.
He put Nico to bed before calling Rachel.
She answered on the second ring.
“You found something.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Claire wrote your name beside Owen’s vendor numbers.”
Rachel went quiet.
“What numbers?”
“You tell me.”
Another pause.
Then:
“Not over the phone.”
Vittorio looked toward Claire’s closed study door.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll come at eight.”
After they disconnected, another call appeared.
Bianca.
Vittorio let it ring.
A message arrived instead.
YOU HUMILIATED ME IN FRONT OF PEOPLE I HAVE TO WORK WITH.
A second message followed.
YOU’RE LETTING A THREE-YEAR-OLD DESTROY THIS FAMILY.
Vittorio stared at it.
Not one word about what she had done to Nico.
Not one word about Claire.
Then Bianca sent a third message.
And this one was different.
WHATEVER RACHEL TELLS YOU, REMEMBER CLAIRE WAS SICK.
Vittorio put the phone down.
May you like
He had not told Bianca he was meeting Rachel.
Yet somehow his sister already knew exactly where he was about to look.
