Chapter 14 - The Father on Paper.
Richard escaped the building through a maintenance passage, but his confession did not escape with him.
Police recovered the recording from Luca's transmitter.
Federal investigators arrived before sunrise.
Nathan was questioned for hours.
Vanessa returned voluntarily with copies of every message Richard had sent her.
She admitted helping Nathan deny Grace publicly because Richard threatened to kill Emily if the trust activated openly.
Emily listened without sympathy.
"You could have warned me."
Vanessa looked exhausted.
"I was afraid."
"So was I."
"I know."
"No, you watched me beg him not to leave."
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
"You're right."
Nathan asked to see Emily.
She refused twice.
On the third request, she agreed only because Luca and an investigator remained in the room.
Nathan looked destroyed.
"I'm sorry."
Emily said nothing.
"I thought if I denied Grace, my father would leave you alone."
"You didn't tell me that."
"I couldn't."
"You could have stood beside me."
Nathan looked at the floor.
"I was scared."
Emily's voice remained quiet.
"So you made sure I was more scared than you."
Nathan began crying.
It did not move her.
"I love her."
Emily looked at Grace sleeping in the bassinet.
"You didn't even know her name."
Nathan had no defense.
Luca remained silent until Nathan glanced at the replacement birth certificate on the table.
"His name is still there?"
Emily looked at Luca's signature.
The hospital legal department had already explained that the signature alone could not establish biological paternity or permanently erase Nathan's rights.
It could, however, become evidence of Luca's willingness to assume responsibility in the emergency custody case now being prepared.
Nathan pointed at the paper.
"He's not her father."
Luca finally spoke.
"Biologically, you're right."
Nathan looked at him.
"Then stay out of this."
Luca's voice stayed calm.
"Being biologically right is the only thing you've done for her so far."
Nathan's face tightened.
The investigator ended the meeting.
Later that morning, a judge issued a temporary protective order preventing Nathan, Vanessa, Richard, or anyone acting for Cole Meridian from removing Grace from Emily's custody.
Luca was listed as an approved protective guardian because of the ongoing threats tied to the trust.
Emily read the order twice.
"Guardian."
Luca nodded.
"Temporary."
"You keep saying temporary like you're trying to convince yourself."
He almost smiled.
Then Marco entered carrying the real archive case.
He had found something hidden beneath the lining.
It was a sealed letter addressed to Luca in Vittorio Morelli's handwriting.
Luca opened it carefully.
The first sentence made him sit down.
SON, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, SOFIA'S CHILD MAY FINALLY BE SAFE ENOUGH TO COME HOME.
The letter explained that Vittorio had placed Matteo with a family under federal protection after Sofia died.
He had never told Luca because Richard's surveillance reached even into law enforcement.
A second page contained a contact code.
The investigator ran it through federal channels.
Twenty minutes later, his phone rang.
He listened quietly.
Then he looked at Luca.
"They found him."
Luca stopped breathing.
Emily reached for his hand.
The investigator continued.
"Matteo Morelli is alive."
May you like
He paused.
"And he's already on his way to this hospital."
