Chapter 5 – THE FIRST HIDDEN PAYMENT

“The Bellini family?”

Teresa’s voice sounded smaller than I’d ever heard it.

Luca nodded.

“The first transfer went to an account connected to Bellini Hospitality.”

I knew the name.

Vanessa’s father owned several hotels, including the one where she and Luca had originally planned to hold their wedding reception.

His family had money.

Or at least everyone believed they did.

“Why would Vanessa need money from our employee fund?” Teresa asked.

Luca put his phone away.

“I intend to ask her.”

I looked toward Owen’s room.

For a moment, I felt guilty about all the attention surrounding me.

A wealthy family’s financial problems were becoming my problem.

And all I’d wanted was to feed my little boy.

“Mr. Moretti?”

Luca turned.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want Owen’s situation turned into a fight about your engagement.”

He studied me.

“Sarah, the engagement ended because of Vanessa’s choices. Not because of anything you did.”

I nodded.

But I still felt uneasy.

He continued.

“And if she used money intended for employees, that’s something I need to address whether or not you were involved.”

Teresa squeezed my shoulder.

“Let him handle that part, sweetheart.”

I spent the rest of the morning beside Owen.

Patricia had prepared a small feeding practice for us.

When she placed him in my arms, he opened his eyes briefly.

“Hello, handsome,” I whispered.

He made a tiny face.

Patricia smiled.

“I think that’s his opinion of being woken up.”

For several minutes, we worked together.

Owen tired quickly.

Patricia stopped the feeding before he became overwhelmed.

“That’s enough for today.”

I looked worried.

“Did he do badly?”

“No. He told us what he could manage. That’s good information.”

I looked down at him.

His little hand rested against my wrist.

For the first time, I realized that getting stronger didn’t always mean doing more.

Sometimes it meant knowing when to rest.

I wished someone had told me that before I returned to work.

By afternoon, my mother was sitting beside Owen while I went to the Moretti estate.

Luca had asked whether I wanted to attend a conversation about my leave and wages.

He made it clear I didn’t have to.

But I wanted to know what had happened.

I arrived wearing jeans and an old cream sweater.

My blue cooler was tucked beneath my arm.

It held one fresh bottle I’d expressed that morning.

I wasn’t leaving it unattended again.

Mrs. Carter met me near the dining room.

“Sarah, you shouldn’t have to come here on your day off.”

“I know.”

She looked down.

“I’m sorry.”

I believed she meant it.

But believing an apology wasn’t the same as knowing whether I could trust someone again.

Inside, Luca sat beside Helen Brooks, the household’s finance manager.

Teresa occupied her usual chair.

There were no champagne glasses.

No flowers.

No engagement decorations.

Someone had removed the white floral arrangement from the center of the table.

I was glad.

I didn’t want anything reminding me of that dinner.

Helen was a serious woman in her early fifties.

She had worked for the Moretti businesses for years.

She looked at me kindly.

“Sarah, before we discuss the account, I want you to understand something. Your approved wages will be corrected. That doesn’t depend on recovering the missing money.”

My shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Thank you.”

Luca nodded toward the empty chair beside Teresa.

“Sit wherever you’re comfortable.”

I sat.

Then Vanessa entered.

She wore a dark coat over a simple black dress.

Her diamond engagement ring was gone.

She stopped when she saw me.

“Why is Sarah here?”

I felt my stomach tighten.

Luca answered immediately.

“Because the decisions we’re discussing affected her.”

Vanessa looked toward Helen.

“Is this some kind of interrogation?”

“No,” Luca said. “It’s a conversation you should have been willing to have before any of this happened.”

Helen opened her notebook.

“The first transfer was forty-two thousand dollars.”

Vanessa’s face tightened.

“The account was temporary.”

“Temporary for what?” Luca asked.

“My father’s business needed assistance.”

Teresa leaned forward.

“Why didn’t you ask?”

Vanessa gave a strained laugh.

“Because every time my family needs something, your family makes it sound like charity.”

Luca looked surprised.

“I’ve never treated your father that way.”

“You don’t have to. He already feels it.”

For the first time, I heard something other than arrogance in her voice.

Not fear of Luca’s anger.

Fear of being exposed as someone who didn’t have the perfect life she’d spent years presenting.

Helen continued.

“The transfer was sent to a payroll service used by Bellini Hospitality.”

Luca looked at Vanessa.

“Were your father’s employees about to miss their wages?”

She nodded.

“He was short on payroll. I thought I could put the money back before anyone noticed.”

Teresa looked stricken.

“You used money meant for our employees to pay his?”

Vanessa lowered her eyes.

“I was trying to save people’s jobs.”

I thought of Rosa.

Of Marta.

Of myself standing beside a sink with three empty bottles.

Perhaps Vanessa had helped strangers.

But she had done it by taking from people whose faces she saw every day.

Luca remained quiet for several seconds.

Then Helen said, “There’s still the second transfer.”

Vanessa looked up sharply.

“What second transfer?”

Helen met her eyes.

“Eighteen thousand, six hundred dollars. Paid to an event-services account.”

Vanessa shook her head.

“That was part of the wedding budget.”

“Was it?” Luca asked.

Her mouth tightened.

Helen looked at him.

“The payment was authorized using the spending authority you signed over to Vanessa in August.”

Luca became still.

I watched the realization reach him.

He hadn’t merely trusted Vanessa.

He’d given her the means to make those decisions without anyone questioning them.

Then Helen added, “There’s another problem.”

Everyone turned.

“The event-services account wasn’t paying a Moretti vendor.”

She looked directly at Vanessa.

“It was paying a debt registered under your personal name.”