Chapter 13 - The Flight to Sicily
Luca’s jet left Teterboro before midnight.
Grace slept in a bassinet secured beside my seat.
Sofia remained near her.
Alessandra sat across the cabin studying photographs of Villa Moretti.
Luca stood near the window.
“You don’t have to come.”
I almost smiled.
“You’re going after documents being used to take my daughter.”
“Our daughter.”
The words hung between us.
Luca looked immediately regretful.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
I looked at Grace.
“You’re right.”
It was the first time I had said it.
Our daughter.
Something changed in his face.
Not ownership.
Wonder.
“I don’t know what this means,” I said.
“Neither do I.”
“I don’t suddenly trust you because biology says I should.”
“I would be concerned if you did.”
That earned the smallest smile.
He sat across from me.
“I will not ask you for anything you are not ready to give.”
“What about Grace?”
“I want to know her.”
His voice softened.
“But only in a way that makes her safe.”
I studied him.
“Why are you so different with her?”
Luca looked toward the bassinet.
“My father loved power more than people.”
A pause.
“I spent most of my life trying not to become him.”
Before I could respond, Alessandra interrupted.
“There.”
She pointed to the villa plans.
“The charter vault is below the chapel.”
Luca examined it.
“Only family blood can open the biometric lock.”
“That was added after I disappeared.”
“Whose profile?”
Alessandra looked at him.
“Your father’s descendants.”
Luca understood.
“I can open it.”
“Or Carlo can.”
We landed before dawn.
Rain covered the Sicilian hills.
Villa Moretti overlooked the sea like an old fortress.
The main gate stood open.
Too open.
Luca’s security team entered first.
No guards.
No staff.
No Brittany.
We reached the chapel.
The vault beneath it was already open.
Inside, shelves of records stretched across stone walls.
One table was empty.
A rectangle of dust showed where a large book had been removed.
“The charter.”
Luca swore quietly.
Then a sound came from behind the altar.
A woman whimpered.
Security moved forward.
Brittany lay on the floor.
Her hands were tied.
Blood ran from her forehead.
She looked at me.
“Emma.”
I did not move.
“Carlo took it.”
Luca crouched near her.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“You flew here to give it to him.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you tied up?”
Her eyes filled with panic.
“Because he found out.”
“Found out what?”
Brittany looked at me.
Then at Grace.
“That I kept a copy of the embryo records.”
My stomach turned.
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
“Against Carlo?”
“No.”
Her voice dropped.
“Against Derek.”
May you like
She began crying.
“Because Derek was never supposed to survive after the baby was born.”
