Vanessa turned toward the locked glass doors, measuring the distance.
The court officer holding her wrist adjusted his grip.
“Am I under arrest?”
“Not yet,” he said.
“Then release me.”
“You attempted to destroy court-protected evidence.”
“I reached for a flash drive.”
“A flash drive attached to a sealed emergency filing.”
Vanessa looked at Luca again.
“Say something.”
He did.
“Take off my mother’s necklace.”
Her hand flew to the diamonds at her throat.
The necklace had belonged to Luca’s mother, Elena Moretti.
I had seen it only twice during our marriage, locked inside a private safe at the family mansion.
Vanessa’s lips parted.
“You gave this to me.”
“I let you wear it.”
“Luca—”
“Take it off.”
Her fingers trembled as she opened the clasp.
The room watched her place the necklace into Luca’s palm.
The humiliation was quiet and absolute.
Vanessa had entered the boutique dressed like the future queen of the Moretti family.
Now she stood beneath the golden lights without the symbol she had believed proved her victory.
Luca closed his fist around the diamonds.
“Where is Carlo?”
No one answered.
Then one of Luca’s guards near the door touched his earpiece.
“Boss, we have a problem.”
Luca did not look away from Vanessa.
“Speak.”
“Carlo’s men entered the Moretti building twelve minutes ago.
They shut down the executive floor and removed the servers.”
Samuel checked his phone.
“The trust notice was delivered electronically at noon,” he said.
“Carlo must have been monitoring the corporate counsel’s office.”
The guard continued.
“He has called an emergency board meeting for four o’clock.
He is claiming you concealed an heir and endangered company stability.”
Vanessa’s expression changed again.
A trace of hope returned.
Carlo had moved first.
If he convinced the board that Luca had become compromised, he could attempt to remove him before the court confirmed my child’s status.
Luca understood the danger immediately.
“Prepare the cars.”
“No,”
I said.
Every head turned toward me.
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“Carlo is taking the company.”
“That is what he wants you to think.”
I placed both hands on the crib because the baby had shifted hard beneath my ribs.
“He wants you angry.
He wants you to storm into that building with armed men while cameras record everything.
