Chapter 2 – THE SILVER WATCH ON HER WRIST

Serena instinctively covered her left wrist with her right hand.

But it was too late.

Vincent froze.

He slowly turned around, his eyes locking onto Serena’s hands.

“Take your hand away,” he commanded.

Serena shook her head. “Vincent, it’s just a piece of jewelry. I bought it at an antique shop.”

“Take it off. Now.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a weight that made the air in the room feel heavy.

Trembling, Serena unclasped the silver watch and placed it on the table.

It was delicate, with a mother-of-pearl face and small diamonds marking the hours.

Vincent picked it up.

He turned it over.

He didn’t say a word, but I saw the way his chest hitched.

“It has her initials engraved on the back,” Vincent said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion. “E.R. Elena Russo.”

He looked at Serena.

“I buried Elena in this watch.”

Diane gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

My stomach turned over.

Serena began to sob. “Vincent, I can explain—”

“You stole it from her body?” Vincent asked, taking a slow step forward.

“No! No, she gave it to me! Before she died, she gave it to me!”

“Liar.”

Vincent’s voice cracked like a whip.

Lily whimpered, hiding her face in her stuffed bear.

I didn’t wait for permission. I walked over and gently scooped the little girl into my arms.

“Come on, Lily,” I whispered. “Let’s go to the kitchen and get some warm milk.”

Vincent glanced at me, a flash of gratitude in his dark eyes.

“Keep her upstairs, Caroline,” he said softly.

As I carried Lily toward the back stairs, I heard Diane speak.

“Serena… Robert gave you that watch, didn’t he?”

I stopped at the edge of the hallway, unable to keep moving.

Vincent turned toward Diane. “What are you talking about?”

Diane’s face was pale. “Last year, Robert came home with a small velvet box. He said he bought it at an estate sale. He told me it was an investment piece.”

She looked at Serena with pure disgust.

“You didn’t take it from Elena’s body. You took it from the house, gave it to Robert to sell, and then he gave it back to you as a gift.”

Serena fell into one of the mahogany chairs, sobbing into her hands.

Vincent stared at the woman he was supposed to marry in three days.

“You stole from my dying wife,” Vincent whispered. “You slept with your best friend’s husband. And you forged a five-million-dollar transfer to cover your tracks.”

He picked up the forged document and the watch.

“The wedding is off. Pack your things and get out of my house.”

Serena looked up, her makeup smeared, her eyes desperate.

“You can’t do this, Vincent! We signed a prenuptial agreement! You owe me—”

“I owe you nothing,” he interrupted. “If you aren’t gone in one hour, I am calling the police and having you arrested for grand larceny and forgery.”

He turned his back on her and looked at Diane.

“Mrs. Mitchell. I am terribly sorry for what you’ve endured. If you need a car to take you home—”

“She’s not going anywhere!” Serena suddenly shrieked.

We all froze.

Serena stood up, her face twisted with a sudden, vicious anger.

She wiped her tears, her panic completely vanishing, replaced by something cold and calculated.

She reached into her silk clutch on the table.

And pulled out a small, folded child’s drawing.

“You think you’re so smart, Vincent,” Serena sneered. “You think you hold all the cards because you have the money.”

She slammed the drawing onto the table.

“But you don’t know everything about Elena. Or what she was really doing before she died.”

Vincent stared at the drawing.

“What is that?”

Serena smiled a terrible, jagged smile.

“Ask your maid.”

She pointed directly at me.

“Ask Caroline why her daughter drew a picture of your dead wife’s car.”

Share