Chapter 10 – THE WATCHMAKER

I stared at the silver pocket watch in my hand.

The metal was cold, heavy, and meticulously polished.

“Leo is here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “In the city?”

Miss Alvarez nodded grimly. “He arrived three days ago. I tried to stop him. I told him it was too dangerous, that the Moretti family would see him as a threat, but he wouldn’t listen.”

My mother stood up, clutching her blanket. “Margaret, why now? Why after all these years?”

“Because he saw the news articles,” Miss Alvarez explained. “The press releases Vanessa was putting out about the new foundation in Elena’s name. It made him angry. He felt they were using his mother’s memory for a PR stunt.”

“Where is he?” I asked.

Miss Alvarez looked at the floor. “That’s the problem, Rachel. I don’t know. He dropped this watch off at the community center this morning with a note. The note said he was going to ‘correct the record’.”

My stomach dropped. “Correct the record? Does he mean going to the press? Going to Luca?”

“I don’t know,” the older woman admitted, tears welling in her eyes. “But if he walks into Luca Moretti’s world and announces he is Elena’s firstborn son, Luca’s lieutenants will kill him. They won’t let a rival bloodline jeopardize the family structure.”

I looked down at the pocket watch.

There was something strange about it.

I pressed the small latch on the side, and the silver casing popped open. The clock face was beautiful, with intricate gears visible beneath the glass. But the hands weren’t moving.

They were permanently frozen at 10:14.

October 14th.

The day the dry-cleaning receipt was signed. Two days before Elena’s death.

“Miss Alvarez,” I said, my heart beginning to race. “Leo didn’t just come back because of Vanessa’s foundation.”

“What do you mean?”

I pointed to the frozen hands on the watch. “He knows what day the plot against his mother started. He knows.”

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out. It was a text message from Luca.

Rachel. I need you back at the estate immediately. Bring the ledger.

Panic spiked in my chest.

“Luca wants me back at the house,” I told them. “He wants the ledger.”

My mother grabbed my arm. “Don’t give it to him, Rachel! If he sees the birth certificate—”

“I have to go,” I said, pulling away gently. “If I don’t show up, it will look worse. I’ll hide the page. I promise.”

I grabbed my coat and rushed out the door.

The cab ride to the Moretti estate felt like an eternity. My mind was racing, trying to figure out how to protect a brother I didn’t even remember, while maintaining the trust of the man who had just saved my life.

When the cab pulled up to the massive iron gates, they swung open immediately.

I walked up the sweeping driveway and entered the mansion.

The house was eerily quiet. The celebration from the morning had completely faded.

I walked into Luca’s study.

Luca was standing behind his mahogany desk, staring out the window at the darkening sky.

“You asked for me, Luca?” I said softly.

He didn’t turn around immediately.

“Do you know why I had Marco investigate your father’s death all those years ago, Rachel?” he asked, his voice low and contemplative.

“Because he was your accountant,” I answered carefully.

Luca turned around.

Sitting in the leather guest chair across from his desk was a young man.

He was in his late twenties. Dark hair. Bright green eyes. He was wearing a simple mechanic’s jacket, looking entirely out of place in the opulent room.

My breath caught in my throat.

Luca looked at the young man, then at me.

“I investigated your father’s death because Elena asked me to,” Luca said softly. “She told me David Morgan was keeping a secret for her. A secret she was terrified of.”

Luca walked around the desk and stood next to the young man.

“Rachel,” Luca said. “I’d like you to meet the new head of my family’s charitable trust. He just walked into my office an hour ago and introduced himself.”

I stared at Leo. My adoptive brother. Elena’s son.

Leo stood up. He looked at me, his green eyes intense and unreadable.

“It’s nice to meet you, Rachel,” Leo said. His voice was calm, steady.

Luca crossed his arms. “He told me an interesting story, Rachel. He told me that Vanessa and Marco weren’t the only ones who knew what happened to Elena. He said your father knew, too.”

Luca held out his hand.

“The ledger, Rachel. Give it to me.”