Chapter 10

The Moretti mansion felt entirely different that evening.

It wasn’t the cold, silent museum it had been when Vanessa lived there. The grand dining room was filled with the smell of roasting garlic and fresh tomatoes. Michael was in the massive chef’s kitchen, wearing an apron over his button-down shirt, stirring a massive pot of marinara sauce while laughing loudly at something my mother had just said.

Sarah Carter sat at the kitchen island, drinking a glass of expensive red wine, looking more relaxed than I had ever seen her. She was arguing with Michael about the proper way to cut basil, slipping easily back into the role of the older sister.

I stood in the doorway, watching them. I was wearing a simple silk blouse and trousers, but the heavy gold bracelet on my wrist caught the light every time I moved.

Luca came up behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“They’re loud,” Luca murmured, though I could hear the smile in his voice.

“It’s an Italian kitchen,” I laughed softly, leaning back into his solid chest. “You’d better get used to it.”

Suddenly, the front doorbell rang.

The laughter in the kitchen stopped. Marcus, who was standing by the hallway, immediately straightened up and placed his hand near his jacket lapel.

“Expecting someone?” Michael asked, wiping his hands on a towel.

Luca frowned. “No.”

We all walked out into the grand foyer. Marcus checked the security monitor, then looked back at Luca with a tight expression.

“Boss,” Marcus said cautiously. “It’s Vanessa.”

The air in the room vanished. My mother stepped protectively in front of Michael. Luca’s posture instantly hardened, the ruthless businessman returning in a flash.

“Tell security to escort her off the property,” Luca said coldly.

“Wait,” Michael said.

We all looked at him.

Michael walked toward the front doors. “Let her in, Marcus.”

“Mike, no,” Luca warned. “She’s toxic. You don’t owe her anything.”

“I know,” Michael said quietly. “But I want to hear what she has to say.”

Marcus unlocked the heavy oak doors and pulled them open.

Vanessa stood on the porch. She looked nothing like the glamorous, terrifying woman from a week ago. She was wearing a simple trench coat. No makeup. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. She looked exhausted, pale, and entirely defeated.

She stepped into the foyer. She saw Luca’s protective arm around my waist. She saw the gold bracelet on my wrist. But she didn’t sneer. She didn’t look at me with disgust.

She looked at Michael.

“I’m leaving for New York tonight,” Vanessa said, her voice small and trembling. “I gave all the properties back to Luca. My father is in solitary confinement awaiting trial. The Bellini name is gone.”

“Why are you here, Vanessa?” Michael asked. His voice wasn’t angry. It was just tired.

Vanessa swallowed hard. Tears pooled in her eyes.

“When I was a little girl,” Vanessa whispered, “I used to hear my father crying in his study. He told me it was because Antonio Moretti had stolen his only son. He told me you were kidnapped, and that we were the victims.”

She wiped a tear from her cheek.

“I spent my entire life hating you, Michael. Because I thought you were the reason my father was so sad. I thought if I could just erase you, my family would be whole again.”

Michael didn’t say a word. He just listened.

“I didn’t know he was a monster,” Vanessa sobbed, breaking down completely. “I didn’t know he hurt you. I didn’t know he beat you. If I had known… I never would have treated you the way I did.”

She looked down at the marble floor, too ashamed to meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she wept. “I’m so sorry, Michael. You are my brother. And I failed you.”

The foyer was dead silent. I held my breath.

Vanessa turned around to walk out the door, fully expecting to be cast out into the cold night alone.

“Vanessa.”

She stopped in the doorway.

Michael walked across the marble floor. He stopped a foot away from her.

“Dominic Bellini ruined both of our childhoods,” Michael said softly. “He lied to both of us. He made us hate each other.”

Vanessa nodded, crying silently.

“I don’t forgive you for what you did to Emily,” Michael said. “And I don’t forgive you for trying to erase Dad’s letter.”

Vanessa closed her eyes, accepting her punishment.

“But,” Michael continued, his voice cracking, “Dad wrote in his book that a father’s heart can grow without anyone losing their place.”

Michael reached out. He awkwardly, hesitantly, placed a hand on Vanessa’s shoulder.

“Go to New York,” Michael whispered. “Get help. Figure out who you are without Dominic’s money. And when you do… you have my phone number.”

Vanessa gasped. She looked up at him, absolute shock and overwhelming gratitude flooding her face.

She didn’t try to hug him. She knew she hadn’t earned that yet. She just nodded, mouthed the words thank you, and walked out the door.

The heavy doors clicked shut behind her.

It wasn’t a perfect reconciliation. But it was a start. The cycle of hatred that Dominic Bellini had started thirty years ago was finally broken.

Michael took a deep breath, wiped his eyes, and turned back toward us.

“Alright,” Michael smiled, clapping his hands together. “The garlic is burning. Everyone in the dining room. Now.”