Chapter 8 - The Woman Behind the Lie
The missing file led Luca to a former family attorney.
The attorney revealed that the property records contained one unusual clause.
If Luca disappeared or was declared unable to manage the family holdings, temporary authority could be transferred to a designated trustee.
That trustee was not Teresa.
It was an old family associate named Victor Bell.
Emma immediately remembered something.
She had seen Victor at the house.
He had been there the night Camille arrived.
Luca found him that afternoon.
Victor denied everything.
But his office contained a duplicate key to the records room.
The evidence looked perfect.
Too perfect.
Emma wasn't convinced.
“Why?” Luca asked.
“Because if he were guilty, why leave the key there?”
Victor looked at her.
“You believe me?”
“I believe someone wants us to believe you.”
Luca studied her.
Victor admitted he had been secretly investigating the missing file.
He had discovered that someone had forged a second copy of the ownership documents.
“I was trying to find the person before Luca did.”
“Why didn't you tell him?”
Victor lowered his head.
“Because I didn't know who I could trust.”
Emma looked at Luca.
The same sentence had now been spoken by three people.
Camille.
Victor.
And Teresa.
Luca's family was full of secrets.
But Emma noticed something else.
The forged document carried a coffee stain.
She recognized the pattern.
It matched a stain from the kitchen.
“Someone brought that paper through the service area.”
Luca stared.
“Can you prove it?”
“No.”
“But?”
Emma looked at the stain.
“I can probably find where it came from.”
For the first time, Luca smiled.
“Show me.”
They followed the trail toward the pantry.
May you like
And there, hidden behind a cabinet, they found a second silver coffee pot.
Identical to Emma's.
