Chapter 4 - ISABELLA KNEW SOPHIA WAS ALIVE BEFORE I PUT A RING ON HER FINGER
Franco Moretti did not receive immunity.
He did receive a chair in Rebecca Sloan’s office and three attorneys who looked as though they charged by heartbeat.
I sat across from him.
Not as boss.
Not as family.
As Lily’s father.
Rebecca began.
“Mr. Moretti, you understand this conversation is voluntary.”
Franco nodded.
“Your counsel is present.”
“Yes.”
“Tell us why you moved Lily from staff lounge.”
Franco looked at me.
“Luca ordered.”
“Why?”
“He wanted Dominic to see her.”
I leaned forward.
“Why not tell me?”
Franco’s mouth tightened.
“Because Luca wanted chaos.”
“At my engagement?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He said alliance had become dangerous.”
That surprised.
“With Vitales?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Rebecca.
“What changed?”
Franco swallowed.
“Carlo Vitale learned about Lily.”
Isabella’s father.
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
Same time my engagement began? Isabella and I had been engaged six months. Interesting.
“How?”
“Private investigator.”
“Whose?”
“Carlo’s.”
Franco continued.
“The Vitale family was doing due diligence before engagement terms.”
I almost laughed.
Marriage due diligence.
Of course.
“They found Sophia Reed in Connecticut.”
“Found birth record?”
“Yes.”
“Father blank?”
“Yes.”
“But timing obvious.”
“Then?”
“Carlo confronted Luca.”
“Why Luca?”
“Succession.”
There.
Carlo understood my child would eventually inherit family voting trust.
If Isabella married me and we had children, those children would share future interests.
But Lily, firstborn, could complicate expectations.
Carlo wanted certainty.
“What did Luca tell him?”
“That Sophia was gone and would remain gone.”
My fists tightened.
Rebecca noticed.
“Hands on table, Dominic.”
I glared.
She didn’t care.
Good.
Franco continued.
“Carlo demanded proof.”
“Luca sent someone to Connecticut.”
“Who?”
Franco looked down.
“Me.”
Sophia’s preschool photo.
“You took Monday picture?”
“Yes.”
My vision narrowed.
Rebecca said:
“Dominic.”
I breathed.
“What were you ordered to do?”
“Confirm identity.”
“Confirm child.”
“Nothing else.”
“The threatening note?”
“I printed it.”
Sophia had been terrified because of him.
“Did you write wording?”
“Luca dictated.”
“Why tell her come Christmas?”
Franco swallowed.
“Luca wanted you to discover Lily before wedding alliance became legally complicated.”
I stared.
“Why would Luca sabotage alliance he helped create?”
“Because Carlo started demanding changes to trust structure.”
There.
The Vitales wanted more.
Carlo proposed that after marriage, certain Moretti voting interests be pooled into new family holding vehicle.
Luca realized it could reduce his own influence.
So he decided to destroy engagement.
Not because conscience.
Because power.
Sophia and Lily became weapons again.
I felt sick.
“Did Isabella know?”
Franco looked toward counsel.
Then:
“Yes.”
My heart went cold.
“How much?”
“She knew Sophia was alive.”
“Since when?”
“About five months.”
“Lily?”
“Yes.”
I closed eyes.
Five months.
I proposed six months ago.
Isabella accepted.
Then learned a month later that the woman I once loved was alive and had probably given birth to my daughter.
She said nothing.
I left Franco with lawyers and drove—not to Isabella.
To my own attorney’s office.
No impulsive confrontation.
Evidence first.
Rebecca arranged Isabella interview that afternoon because Isabella’s lawyer had already called demanding return of family jewels.
Fine.
She entered wearing black suit.
No engagement ring.
She placed it on table.
“I assume you want this.”
I looked.
“Later.”
Her eyes hardened.
“Of course.”
Rebecca started.
“Isabella, did you know Sophia Carter was alive before Christmas Eve?”
She looked at me.
“Yes.”
No lie this time.
“How long?”
“Five months.”
“Did you know Lily existed?”
“Yes.”
“Did you believe Dominic was father?”
“I believed it was possible.”
My chest hurt.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Isabella’s composure cracked.
“Because my father told me it was not my information.”
I laughed.
She flinched.
“Try again.”
“Because I wanted to marry you.”
There.
Better.
“I had waited my entire life to be chosen for something that mattered.”
I stared.
“By me?”
“By this family.”
Interesting distinction.
Isabella continued.
“I grew up being told Morettis and Vitales would eventually align.”
“I knew exactly what marriage meant.”
“You think I didn’t like you?”
“I did.”
“Love?”
Her eyes filled.
“I thought I could.”
That hurt less than expected.
Maybe because truth had already rearranged everything.
“When you learned Sophia alive?”
“I panicked.”
“Did you meet her?”
“No.”
“Lily?”
“No.”
“Did you help threaten them?”
“No.”
“Did your father?”
“I don’t know.”
Rebecca slid Franco statement summary.
Isabella read.
Her face changed.
“I didn’t know about Monday photograph.”
“Did you know your father was investigating?”
“Yes.”
“Did you object?”
“I told him to stop.”
“Why?”
“Because if Dominic found out…”
I stared.
“Not because Sophia deserved privacy.”
Isabella closed eyes.
“No.”
Again honesty.
Then she said:
“I did one thing.”
“What?”
“Three months ago, I told Luca that if Sophia ever surfaced after we were married, I would leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I would not spend life being woman everyone says replaced mother of your child.”
“So you wanted problem gone before wedding.”
“Yes.”
The wording mattered.
“Gone how?”
“I meant resolved.”
Rebecca leaned in.
“That word means nothing.”
Isabella looked at her.
Then at me.
“I told Luca to make sure Sophia was safe and financially independent somewhere else.”
I felt sick.
“You had no right.”
“I know.”
Stop.
She corrected.
“I understand now.”
Maybe.
“Did Luca interpret differently?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you ask?”
“No.”
There.
Power operates through vague instructions.
Make it go away.
Handle it.
Resolve.
Nobody wants to know mechanics until bodies appear.
Or children beneath staircases.
“Did your father ask for trust changes?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know?”
“Yes.”
“Did you agree?”
“I signed draft prenup term sheet.”
“What did it do?”
“Created pooled marital holding company for future children.”
“Including Lily?”
“No.”
My chest froze.
“Why?”
“At the time she was not legally recognized.”
“You knew she existed.”
Isabella cried.
“Yes.”
I stood.
Rebecca looked.
“Sit.”
“No.”
I remained standing but did not approach.
“Isabella.”
She looked.
“You were willing to marry me knowing I had child somewhere who might be excluded from family structure.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because my father said if she was yours, you could provide separately.”
I laughed.
Bitter.
“Separately.”
My daughter as side account.
Not heir.
Not family.
A mistake from inappropriate woman.
I looked at engagement ring.
Then back.
“You didn’t love me.”
Isabella’s face broke.
“I wanted to.”
“That isn’t same.”
“No.”
She cried.
I did not comfort.
Not cruelty.
Boundary.
Rebecca asked:
“Will you cooperate regarding Carlo and Luca communications?”
Isabella hesitated.
Then:
“Yes.”
“Even against father?”
Her face tightened.
“Yes.”
Why?
She looked at me.
“Because I do not want to become another Victoria.”
My mother’s name landed.
Interesting.
After Isabella left, she surrendered phones voluntarily through counsel.
Messages showed Carlo and Luca negotiating.
CARLO: The Carter child cannot sit unresolved.
LUCA: Dominic does not know. Keep Isabella quiet.
CARLO: After marriage we revise trust.
LUCA: Not happening until girl issue closed.
Then six days before Christmas:
CARLO: I will not let bastard child destabilize Isabella’s future.
My vision turned black.
Rebecca said:
“Breathe.”
I did.
Another message.
Luca:
Then maybe Dominic should learn the truth before he signs anything with you.
There.
Christmas plan.
Luca had turned against Carlo.
Not to protect Lily.
To preserve his own leverage.
Then final message, Christmas Eve morning:
LUCA: Tonight ends one way or another.
Rebecca looked at me.
“Do not go near him.”
“I know.”
Stop.
She smiled despite circumstances.
“We need locate Luca.”
He was gone.
His townhouse empty.
Phone off.
Private driver claimed he dismissed him at 2 a.m.
My uncle had sat in my ballroom, lied to my face, then disappeared.
At 7:10 that night, Enzo called.
“We found one thing in Luca’s office.”
“What?”
“A trust memorandum.”
“Which?”
“Not current.”
“Draft from four years ago.”
Enzo sent photo.
Heading:
CONTINGENCY OPTIONS — DOMINIC MORETTI ISSUE
Issue.
Not child.
Issue.
The memo described legal options if Dominic had a child outside marriage.
Recognition.
Trust rights.
Security.
Then a handwritten note in Luca’s pen:
Better if mother leaves before birth. No claim. No publicity.
My body went cold.
Luca had known.
Before Sophia disappeared.
Before Lily was born.
My mother may have believed she was rescuing Sophia from enemies.
May you like
But my uncle had been calculating how to remove my daughter from succession before she took first breath.
And now he was missing.
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