Chapter 3 – THE HUSH MONEY

The photograph slipped from my fingers and fluttered to the marble floor.

Sister.

My entire life, it had just been me and my mother. I had spent the last eleven months scrubbing floors and swallowing Vanessa’s insults just to pay for my mother’s medical treatments.

Now, this stranger was telling me my life was a lie.

“That’s impossible,” I whispered, staring at Clara. “My father died before I was born. My mother raised me alone.”

Clara gave a sad, bitter smile. “The man you thought was your father was a cover story, Emily. Our mother had an affair with the head of the Moretti family.”

The dining guests began whispering frantically. Michael’s pregnant wife gasped and sat down heavily in her chair.

Luca didn’t look shocked. He looked calculating.

“My father had many secrets,” Luca said quietly, looking down at the photograph on the floor. “But he never paid hush money with his daughter-in-law’s jewelry.”

“He didn’t give it to her,” Clara corrected. She pointed a trembling finger at Vanessa. “She did.”

Vanessa thrashed against the bodyguard. “Lies! All of it!”

“Why would Vanessa give your mother Catherine’s watch?” Luca asked, his voice tightening at the mention of his late wife’s name.

“Because Vanessa needed a fall guy,” Clara said.

Clara turned to face the entire room. She wasn’t trembling anymore. She was angry.

“Three years ago, Vanessa found out about my existence,” Clara explained. “She tracked down our mother, Emily. She threatened her. She said if our mother didn’t help her with a ‘problem,’ she would tell the Moretti family about the affair, and they would kill us both.”

I felt sick to my stomach. “What problem?”

“Catherine Moretti,” Clara said, looking at Luca. “Your wife.”

Luca went completely rigid. “What did she make your mother do?”

Clara took a deep breath.

“Vanessa didn’t just want Catherine out of the picture,” Clara said. “She wanted Catherine’s money. But Catherine had a hidden safe deposit box in the city. Vanessa forced our mother to go to the bank and impersonate Catherine to empty the box.”

“And the watch?” Luca asked, his voice dangerously low.

“Vanessa gave our mother the watch as ‘payment’ after the job was done,” Clara said. “But it wasn’t payment. It was a trap. If the police ever investigated the missing funds, they would find Catherine’s watch in my mother’s house. She was framing us.”

Vanessa suddenly stopped struggling. She threw her head back and laughed.

“You’re pathetic!” Vanessa spat. “You have no proof of any of this! It’s the word of a bastard child and a lowly maid against mine!”

“She’s right,” a deep voice said from the doorway.

Everyone turned.

Standing in the arched doorway of the dining room was Chief Miller of the Chicago Police Department. He was flanked by two uniformed officers.

Vanessa smiled triumphantly. “Chief! Thank God you’re here. Arrest these women for trespassing and theft!”

But Chief Miller didn’t look at Clara. Or me.

He walked straight up to Luca and handed him a small, clear plastic evidence bag.

Inside the bag was a child’s drawing. It was scribbled with crayons, showing a stick figure family.

“We executed the search warrant on Vanessa’s private apartment an hour ago, Mr. Moretti,” Chief Miller said. “We found this hidden inside the lining of her designer coat.”

Luca stared at the drawing. “This is Isabella’s drawing. She made it for Catherine the week before she died.”

Chief Miller nodded grimly. “Turn it over, sir.”

Luca flipped the plastic bag.

On the back of the child’s drawing, written in Vanessa’s distinct block lettering, was a list of bank account numbers.

And right below them were three chilling words.

Cut the brakes.

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