The Fiancée Who Knew Too Much
Chapter 08 - The Fiancée Who Knew Too Much
Dante met Celeste in the estate's winter garden, a place she'd once described as perfect for wedding photographs. Rain streaked the glass ceiling.
“Did you know Margaret Romano?” he asked.
Celeste didn't blink. “Your mother's sister? Only from stories.”
“Did your father?”
She set down her coffee cup. “My father knew everyone. What's the point?”
“Why did you ask Ma for her cedar chest?”
Celeste laughed. “I was organizing her belongings.”
“Then explain the property agreement.”
He placed a copy of the disputed brownstone listing on the table. Her company's lawyer had participated in the transaction. Celeste read it without touching the paper.
“You never cared about the details when I handled them for you.”
“I care now.”
“You're choosing a confused old woman over me.”
“My mother is a person, Celeste. Not an obstacle.”
Her expression became cold. “You think affection keeps an empire running? You need people willing to make ugly decisions.”
“I need people who tell the truth.”
She rose. “Then perhaps you don't need me at all.”
Dante watched her leave, grieving a future he'd imagined but no longer trusted.
***
At the Belvedere, Evelyn resumed her shifts. Some coworkers whispered that she'd used an elderly guest to catch the attention of a wealthy man. Others apologized for failing to intervene at dinner. Marco, the head waiter, quietly told her she'd done what he should have done.
Evelyn was serving lunch when a woman in a charcoal coat approached her.
“My name is Dr. Nora Bell. I worked with Margaret Hart twenty-six years ago.”
Evelyn froze. “Margaret Hart?”
“She used that surname for a while. I've been waiting for someone to ask what happened to her.”
May you like
The woman placed a sealed envelope on the table. “Your mother Laura saved the child. But there was a second person she was protecting.”
Evelyn stared at the envelope. Inside was a photograph of a small boy standing beside a crib. On the back were the words: Margaret's children.
