Chapter 6

The ride to the bank was suffocatingly quiet.

Julian drove his black SUV through the morning traffic, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. Celeste sat in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead, occasionally checking her reflection in the visor mirror.

I sat in the back, my hand resting over the pocket where my father’s watch and my childhood drawing lay hidden.

Where she keeps her promises.

The real will was in my house. But I couldn’t go back there yet. First, I had to see what was in the vault.

“When we get inside,” Julian said, his voice hard, breaking the silence, “you will present your ID, you will open the box, and you will hand me the contents without looking at them. Do you understand?”

“And if I refuse?” I asked.

He met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Then I will freeze all your personal accounts, cancel your cards, and make sure you walk out of this marriage with nothing but the clothes on your back. You’ll be back to being the poor orphan girl.”

“Julian,” Celeste murmured, touching his arm. “Don’t be so dramatic. She knows better than to cross you.”

We pulled up to the imposing marble facade of the First National Bank.

Inside, the private vault manager, a discreet man named Mr. Harrison, greeted us.

“Mr. Moretti,” he said, nodding. “We weren’t expecting you.”

“My wife needs to access a private box,” Julian said smoothly. “Under the name Evelyn Miller.”

Mr. Harrison looked at me, verifying my ID. “Right this way, Ms. Miller.”

Julian moved to follow, but Mr. Harrison politely blocked his path. “I’m sorry, sir. The late Mr. Moretti’s instructions were very specific. Only Ms. Miller is allowed in the vault.”

Julian’s eyes flashed with anger, but he forced a tight smile. “Of course. I’ll wait right here.”

I followed Mr. Harrison into the heavy steel vault. He used his master key, and I used the small brass key that had started all of this just twelve hours ago.

The heavy metal drawer slid open.

Inside lay a single, thick manila envelope.

My hands shook as I pulled it out. The seal was unbroken.

I didn’t wait. I broke the wax seal right there in the vault and pulled out a stack of legal documents.

The first page took my breath away.

It was a legally binding transfer of assets. Fifty percent of the Moretti Family Trust, including the shipping business, the real estate holdings, and the offshore accounts.

Transferred directly to Evelyn Miller. Effective upon the death of Antonio Moretti.

Adelaide was right. I wasn’t just a victim’s daughter. I was the majority shareholder of the entire Moretti empire. Julian only owned twenty percent.

But it was the letter attached to the documents that made me cry.

My Dearest Evelyn,

I am a coward. I robbed you of your father, and in my cowardly attempt to right that wrong, I shackled you to a family of wolves. Julian is weak. He is easily manipulated. He will ruin the business, and he will ruin you. I leave you this power not as a gift, but as a weapon. Use it to protect yourself. Use it to destroy them if you must.

Forgive an old man his sins.

Antonio.

I wiped my tears, folding the documents carefully and sliding them into my coat.

I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders.

I was no longer the obedient mafia wife.

I walked out of the vault. Julian stood immediately, stepping toward me with his hand outstretched.

“Give it to me,” he demanded.

I looked at him. Then I looked at Celeste.

I handed Julian the empty manila envelope.

He ripped it open, his face contorting in fury when he found nothing inside. “Where is it, Evelyn?! What did you do with it?!”

“I’m keeping it,” I said calmly. “And by the way, Julian, you’re fired.”