Chapter 4 - The Stolen Pension
“That car wasn't owned by my company,” Luca stated, his voice ringing with chilling clarity.
Vanessa blinked rapidly. “It wasn't?”
“No,” Luca said, stepping closer to her. “I gave that car to Frank five years ago when he retired from full-time driving. The title was entirely in his name.”
Nobody in the dining room spoke a single word. The wealthy guests exchanged wide-eyed, nervous glances.
Luca looked back at the grieving widow. “Rosa. Did Vanessa tell you that you owed me twelve thousand dollars?”
Rosa began crying uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands. “She said... she said you wouldn't let me keep Frank's company pension unless I worked the debt off. She said you would take my house.”
Luca closed his eyes for a long, heavy moment, taking a deep breath to contain the lethal rage building inside him.
He slowly crouched down beside Rosa’s chair, completely ignoring his ruined tailored suit pants on the floor. He gently took the older woman's trembling hands in his.
“Rosa,” Luca said softly. “Frank's pension belongs to you. Every single penny of it. It’s fully funded and sitting in a trust. And you were supposed to be on two months of fully paid bereavement leave.”
Vanessa panicked, stepping forward with her hands raised. “Luca, darling, wait! There's clearly been a massive administrative misunderstanding! The accountant must have misfiled—”
Luca completely ignored her. “Why didn't you call me, Rosa? Why didn't you tell me this was happening?”
Rosa looked down at the marble floor. “Because Mrs. Bellini said you were furious with Frank.”
Luca's face hardened into a mask of pure stone. “Angry about what?”
Rosa's hands tightened around her cheap, worn-out purse. “She said Frank's accident was his own fault. She told me the police report said he was drinking and driving.”
Luca slowly shook his head. “Frank hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol in twenty years.”
“I know, sir,” Rosa whispered.
Then, Rosa looked up. She stopped crying. Her eyes locked directly onto Vanessa, filled with a sudden, devastating clarity.
“But that's not why she wanted me working tonight,” Rosa said quietly.
May you like
Vanessa went completely pale. “Rosa, enough.”
👉 What terrifying truth did the widow discover about her husband's death?
