Chapter 2 – THE TRUTH HIDDEN IN THE BRICKS
Arthur’s revelation hung in the air, suffocating the dining room.
Adrian released Arthur, his chest heaving. “What letters?” he demanded, turning to his mother.
Rosa trembled, leaning heavily on her cane. “Your… father’s… promise.”
Elias suddenly shoved past a waiter, making a frantic dash for the side door. Adrian was faster. He slammed Elias against the oak paneling, pinning him by the throat. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s inside my father’s bakery!”
Elias choked, his face turning purple. “It’s proof! Proof that I didn’t build my empire! Your father owned half my company, Adrian! The original partnership agreement is cemented in that oven!”
A collective gasp swept through the remaining guests. If Elias was telling the truth, the DeLuca family owned fifty percent of Elias’s billion-dollar development firm. Celeste had known her father was in trouble, but her face drained of color as the reality set in.
“Dad, you told me we were just protecting our assets!” she cried.
I looked at Rosa. She was shaking her head, pointing a trembling finger at Celeste. “She… knew. She… took… the necklace.”
Adrian froze. “What necklace, Ma?”
“The one… I gave… my granddaughter.”
My stomach plummeted. Adrian’s eight-year-old daughter, Lily, never took off the gold cross Rosa had given her.
“Claire,” Adrian ordered, his voice dropping to a terrifying calm. “Go upstairs and check on my children.”
I didn’t wait. I hiked up my skirt and sprinted up the grand staircase, taking the steps two at a time. When I pushed open the door to the children’s playroom, the bed was empty. The window was wide open, the cold Chicago wind blowing the curtains. And lying on the floor was Lily’s broken gold necklace.
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