Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN WHO NEVER COMPLAINED
Elena avoided me the next morning.
That alone told me something.
Normally she brought my mother’s breakfast tray to the west sitting room at eight.
That morning another maid came.
“Where’s Elena?”
The maid froze.
“Mrs. Fairchild reassigned her.”
Vivien.
Of course.
“Where?”
“Laundry.”
I found Elena folding sheets.
She nearly dropped one when I entered.
“Mr. Duca.”
“You didn’t bring Mother breakfast.”
“Miss Fairchild changed the schedule.”
“Why?”
Her eyes lowered.
“No reason.”
Lie.
I stepped closer.
“Elena.”
She looked up.
There was fear.
Not of me.
Of what telling me might cause.
“Has Vivien threatened you?”
Her entire body became still.
Too direct.
I had made a mistake.
“What?”
“Answer.”
“No.”
Another lie.
Good.
Now I knew Mia had understood correctly.
I changed tactics.
“How is Mia?”
Confusion.
“Fine.”
“She likes chocolate.”
Elena stared.
“You gave her chocolate?”
“She extorted it.”
That almost made her smile.
Almost.
Then she became serious.
“Mr. Duca, Mia shouldn’t bother you.”
“She didn’t.”
“She’s three.”
“I noticed.”
Elena hesitated.
“She becomes attached to people.”
The warning beneath the words was obvious.
Don’t make promises to her unless you intend to keep them.
I nodded.
“So do adults.”
Her eyes briefly met mine.
Something passed between us.
Then I left.
At noon, Rocco brought the first results.
Vivien had spent eighty-seven thousand dollars in three months through an account I had never seen.
Not jewelry.
Not clothes.
Payments.
Four recipients.
One security technician.
One private investigator.
One former Duca employee.
And a man named Gabriel Serra.
I knew that name.
Everyone in our world did.
Gabriel Serra worked for the Marcelli family.
May you like
Our oldest rival.
My fiancée had been secretly paying one of my enemies.
