Victor Hale had been paying Brody for information.
That was the first truth.
The second was worse.
Brody had approached Victor before I ever entered the Moretti estate.
He had heard through one of his gambling contacts that Victor needed someone financially desperate with no strong family ties.
Someone who could be controlled.
Someone who might accept live-in employment without asking too many questions.
Me.
The agency posting had not been random.
I had been placed inside the Moretti house.
My stomach turned when Marco explained it.
“Why?”
Lorenzo stood by the window.
“To take blame if something happened to my father.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Victor had been stealing from Giovanni's trust accounts for years.”
Marco opened another folder.
“Mrs. Gable helped falsify household expenses.”
“If Giovanni died,” Lorenzo said, “there would be an audit.”
I looked toward the ceiling.
“Room 4B.”
Lorenzo nodded.
“They wanted his health to decline naturally enough to avoid questions.”
My blood ran cold.
“They were starving him?”
“Not exactly.”
Marco's voice was careful.
“But neglect helped.”
I thought of the cold oatmeal.
The freezing room.
The unwashed hair.
My eyes filled with tears.
“They wanted him to die.”
Lorenzo didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
“Where does Brody fit?”
“He was supposed to keep you desperate,” Marco said.
I stared.
“The gambling debt.”
“Some was real.”
My stomach twisted.
“Some?”
“He increased it using loans in your name.”
I covered my mouth.
Lorenzo looked furious.
“Victor wanted you financially trapped. If questions came later, you would appear to have motive for stealing.”
I whispered, “They were going to blame me.”
“Yes.”
The room spun.
“All because I needed a job.”
Lorenzo crossed toward me.
I raised one hand.
“Don't.”
He stopped immediately.
I needed air.
Space.
I walked into the hallway.
Giovanni sat there with his therapist.
He saw my face.
His expression changed.
I knelt beside him.
“They chose me because they thought nobody would care what happened to me.”
Giovanni's eyes filled.
I laughed through tears.
“They were almost right.”
His hand moved.
Slowly.
Painfully.
He touched my cheek.
I closed my eyes.
Then he made a sound.
“Fa…”
I opened my eyes.
“What?”
His mouth trembled.
“Fam…”
The therapist froze.
Giovanni tried again.
“Fam…ily.”
I stared at him.
The first clear word I had ever heard him speak.
Family.
I started crying.
Lorenzo stood behind us.
His eyes were wet too.
Giovanni looked at him.
Then at me.
Then at my stomach.
Family.
That was what he meant.
Three nights later, Victor made his final mistake.
He returned to the estate.
Not through the front gate.
Through an old service tunnel connected to a detached garage.
Mrs. Gable had given him the access code.
He wasn't coming for money.
He was coming for Giovanni.
I woke around two in the morning because Lily kicked hard enough to hurt.
I went downstairs for water.
The house was dark.
Then I heard a wheelchair creak.
I assumed Giovanni was awake.
“Giovanni?”
No answer.
I walked toward the east wing.
His door was open.
The bed was empty.
My heart stopped.
“Lorenzo!”
A shadow moved behind me.
A hand covered my mouth.
I fought.
Someone hissed, “Quiet.”
Brody.
I bit his hand.
He cursed.
I screamed.
Lights snapped on.
Brody dragged me backward.
“Stop!”
“Where is he?”
“Who?”
“The old man!”
I stared at him.
“You're insane.”
“Victor said he can testify now.”
My blood turned cold.
Giovanni.
Brody looked terrified.
Not dangerous.
Terrified men could be worse.
“Where is he?”
“I don't know.”
He gripped my arm.
I heard footsteps.
Brody pulled me toward the service corridor.
Then a voice came from behind us.
“Elena.”
Lorenzo.
Brody spun.
Lorenzo stood at the end of the hall.
Marco beside him.
Brody pulled me against his chest.
“Don't come closer.”
Lorenzo didn't move.
“Let her go.”
“I want out.”
“Then leave.”
“With money.”
“No.”
Brody tightened his grip.
I winced.
Lorenzo's eyes dropped to my stomach.
Something terrifying appeared in his face.
But his voice stayed calm.
“You're holding a pregnant woman.”
“She'll be fine.”
“No.”
Lorenzo took one step.
“You don't get to decide that.”
Marco moved slightly.
Brody noticed.
“Stay back!”
I could feel his hand shaking.
I whispered, “Brody.”
“Shut up.”
“You don't want to hurt Lily.”
His grip loosened.
Just slightly.
“You said you wanted another chance.”
He swallowed.
“I do.”
“No, you want money.”
His eyes hardened.
“You never believed in me.”
“I believed in you until you made believing impossible.”
He flinched.
“Let me go.”
For a second, I thought he might.
Then Victor appeared behind Lorenzo.
Holding Giovanni's wheelchair.
My heart stopped.
Victor had one hand on Giovanni's shoulder.
Giovanni looked furious.
Lorenzo turned slowly.
Victor smiled.
“Everybody relax.”
Marco shifted.
Victor pulled out a small pistol.
“Don't.”
The corridor froze.
I felt Brody stiffen behind me.
He hadn't known Victor had a gun.
“You said nobody would get hurt,” Brody whispered.
Victor laughed.
“You're adorable.”
Brody looked at me.
Then at Victor.
For the first time, he understood what he had joined.
Victor aimed toward Lorenzo.
“I only need time to leave.”
Giovanni's hand moved beneath his blanket.
Victor didn't notice.
I did.
Giovanni was reaching for the wheelchair brake.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Victor stepped forward.
“Move.”
Lorenzo looked at his father.
Their eyes met.
Giovanni pressed the brake.
The wheelchair locked.
Victor pulled.
It didn't move.
“What the hell?”
Giovanni suddenly grabbed Victor's wrist.
Not hard.
But enough.
The gun shifted.
Marco moved.
So did Lorenzo.
Brody released me.
I dropped to the floor, protecting Lily.
There was a shout.
A struggle.
Then silence.
When I looked up, Victor was facedown on the carpet.
Marco had the gun.
Brody stood against the wall with his hands raised.
Lorenzo knelt beside me.
“Elena.”
“I'm okay.”
“The baby?”
“She moved.”
His eyes closed.
Relief.
Giovanni made a sound.
We turned.
He looked at Victor.
Then, with enormous effort, he spoke.
Two broken words.
“No… more.”
Lorenzo stood beside his father.
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“No more.”
By morning, police had taken Victor and Brody away.
The evidence was overwhelming.
Financial fraud.
Identity theft.
Abuse.
Conspiracy.
The Moretti attorneys turned everything over.
Lorenzo made a decision nobody expected.
He cooperated completely.
Even when doing so exposed embarrassing truths about his family businesses.
“Why?” I asked.
We stood beside Giovanni's window.
Lorenzo looked at his father.
“Because power without accountability is what created this.”
Giovanni nodded slowly.
Then Lorenzo looked at me.
“And I won't build Lily's world on the same foundation.”
My heart stopped at the way he said her name.
Not your daughter.
Lily.
Like she already mattered to him.
Like maybe we did too.