Chapter 8 - The Woman in Red.
Emily read Luca's name three times.
"You knew."
"No."
"Your name is in the trust."
"I never saw this document."
"You expect me to believe your father made you trustee of a billion-dollar company and forgot to mention it?"
Luca did not defend himself.
He looked furious for a different reason.
"The signature isn't mine."
Emily looked down.
The trustee acceptance line did contain Luca Morelli's name.
The handwriting was similar to the signature he had placed on Grace's birth certificate.
Similar, but not identical.
"Someone forged it."
Marco adjusted his glasses and examined the document.
"This file is at least ten years old."
Luca looked at him.
"Can you verify that?"
"Yes."
Emily stood and paced beside the bed.
"So someone decided years ago that if Nathan had a child, you would control the company for her."
"That's what this says."
"Why you?"
Luca looked at the old photograph of his father and Richard Cole.
"Because Richard didn't trust his own son."
A knock sounded at the door.
The police officer opened it cautiously.
Vanessa stood outside alone.
Emily's entire body stiffened.
"Get her out."
Vanessa raised both hands.
"I came to help."
Luca almost smiled.
"That's becoming a popular sentence tonight."
Vanessa looked at the open metal case.
Her face lost color.
"Where did you get that?"
Luca stepped into the doorway.
"You recognize it."
Vanessa whispered, "Close the door."
Emily laughed.
"No."
"If Nathan sees what's in that case, Grace is in more danger."
"Nathan already tried to take her."
Vanessa shook her head.
"No, he didn't."
Emily stepped closer.
"He walked away from her."
"Because I told him to."
The admission stunned the room.
Vanessa entered after the officer checked her purse.
She looked directly at Emily.
"Nathan believed refusing Grace publicly would keep the trust from activating."
"You convinced him of that?"
"I convinced him it might save his life."
Luca folded his arms.
"From who?"
Vanessa glanced at the crown paperclip.
"Richard Cole."
Emily stared at her.
"Nathan's father is dead."
Vanessa slowly shook her head.
"No."
The room went silent.
Richard Cole had supposedly died eight months earlier in a boating accident.
His body had never been recovered.
Vanessa explained that Nathan received anonymous instructions two weeks ago.
The messages contained private details only Richard could know.
They ordered Nathan to deny Grace, stay away from Emily, and surrender control of several accounts.
"Why didn't you go to police?"
Vanessa's eyes filled with fear.
"Because the first message included a photograph of Emily sleeping in her hospital room three weeks ago."
Emily's skin went cold.
That was the night the unauthorized DNA sample had been taken.
Luca asked the question everyone else was afraid to ask.
"Where is Richard now?"
Vanessa reached into her purse slowly and removed her phone.
A new message glowed on the screen.
It had arrived one minute earlier.
BRING THE CHILD TO THE EAST GARAGE OR THE MOTHER DIES FIRST.
May you like
Below the words was a live photograph of Emily's hospital room.
The picture had been taken from inside the room.
