Chapter 3 - What Luca Never Told Me
The door opened slowly.
Luca moved Avery behind him.
Diane entered first.
Daniel followed.
Neither looked surprised to see Luca.
That frightened Avery more than anything else.
Her mother saw the open safe.
"Oh God."
Avery held up her father's letter.
"Start talking."
Diane sat down.
For the first time Avery could remember, her mother looked old.
"Your father owned half of Moretti Maritime."
Avery stared at her.
"What?"
Luca didn't deny it.
Diane continued.
"He and Luca's father built legitimate shipping businesses together. Then other people began using their routes."
"For what?"
"Money laundering. Stolen goods. Bribery."
Daniel interrupted.
"This isn't the whole story."
Claire appeared behind him.
Everyone turned.
Her veil was gone.
Mascara streaked beneath her eyes.
"Then tell me the whole story, husband."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Claire entered.
"Did you marry me because of Dad?"
"No."
"Did you know who Dad was?"
"Yes."
She slapped him.
Daniel took it.
Claire began crying.
Avery moved toward her sister instinctively.
Claire pushed her away.
"Don't."
Avery froze.
Claire looked around the room.
"Everyone knew except me?"
"No," Avery said. "I didn't."
Claire laughed bitterly.
"Congratulations. We finally have something in common."
Daniel reached for her.
She stepped back.
"Don't touch me."
Luca spoke.
"Mercer, who hired you?"
Daniel looked at him.
"Nobody."
"Wrong answer."
"I wasn't hired."
"Then why did you approach Claire?"
Daniel hesitated.
Avery saw it.
Claire saw it too.
"Say it."
Daniel swallowed.
"Because I was investigating Edward Bennett."
The room went silent.
"For whom?" Avery asked.
"My father."
Luca's expression hardened.
"Victor Mercer."
Daniel nodded.
Diane stood abruptly.
"We're leaving."
Avery blocked her.
"Who is Victor Mercer?"
Luca answered.
"The man your father believed betrayed him."
Avery remembered the letter.
The third belongs to the person who betrayed me.
"Daniel's father has the third piece."
Daniel shook his head.
"Had."
Luca narrowed his eyes.
"What happened to it?"
"My father disappeared six months ago."
Claire stared at him.
"You told me he was working overseas."
"I lied."
"Obviously."
Daniel looked ashamed.
"I came close to your family because I thought Edward left something behind. Then I met you."
Claire looked away.
"I fell in love with you."
"Don't."
"It's true."
"You built our entire relationship on a lie."
"Yes."
Claire flinched.
Daniel didn't soften it.
Avery respected him for that much.
Luca took the letter.
"19. 47. We need Mercer's number."
Daniel reached into his jacket.
Avery tensed.
He removed a brass coin.
One number engraved across it.
Luca stared.
"You had it tonight?"
"My father mailed it to me yesterday."
Avery combined them aloud.
"19. 47. 86."
Diane whispered, "A date."
Everyone looked at her.
"April 19, 1986."
Luca frowned.
"What happened then?"
Diane looked at Avery.
"You were born."
Avery felt the floor disappear beneath her.
"No."
"My birthday is August third."
"That's the day we adopted you."
Avery couldn't speak.
Claire sat down.
Daniel whispered, "Jesus."
Avery stared at her mother.
"Adopted?"
Diane's eyes filled.
"Your father wanted to tell you."
"You had thirty-two years."
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
Diane looked at Luca.
"Of his family."
Avery followed her gaze.
Luca looked equally confused.
"Whose family?"
Diane whispered, "Moretti."
Luca went completely still.
Avery laughed because the alternative was screaming.
"No."
Diane reached for her.
Avery backed away.
"Don't touch me."
"Avery—"
"Who were my parents?"
Diane cried silently.
"Edward was your father in every way that mattered."
"Who were they?"
Diane looked toward the photograph of Edward and Luca's father.
Avery followed her gaze.
Something clicked.
"No."
Luca stepped closer to the photograph.
His father.
Giovanni Moretti.
Beside him stood Edward.
And between them, partly hidden by glare, was a young woman.
Avery's eyes.
Avery's mouth.
Avery's face thirty years younger.
"Who is she?"
Luca's voice was barely audible.
Diane answered.
"Elena Moretti."
Luca staggered backward.
"My aunt."
Avery turned.
Luca stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.
"Elena disappeared in 1986."
Diane nodded.
"She didn't disappear."
"What happened?"
"She had a daughter."
Avery couldn't breathe.
Luca looked at her.
Family.
The terrifying stranger who had crashed Claire's wedding was family.
But Diane wasn't finished.
"Elena asked Edward and me to hide Avery."
"From whom?" Avery whispered.
Diane looked at Daniel.
"Victor Mercer."
Daniel went pale.
Avery stared at him.
"My biological mother was hiding from your father?"
Daniel shook his head.
"I didn't know."
"Where is Elena?"
Diane began crying harder.
"I don't know."
Avery grabbed her shoulders.
"Is she alive?"
"I don't know."
"Mom!"
"The last time I saw her, she gave Edward the key."
Avery released her.
Luca examined the numbers again.
"April 19, 1986 isn't just Avery's birth date."
"What else?"
"The Moretti family maintained private deposit boxes at First Continental."
Daniel understood.
"Box 194786."
They left the hotel through the service entrance.
Claire came with them despite Daniel's objections.
"I married you four hours ago," she said. "You don't get to start making decisions for me now."
First Continental maintained private vault access twenty-four hours a day for legacy clients.
Luca's surname opened doors.
Avery's key opened another.
Box 194786 was enormous.
Inside were documents.
Photographs.
A cassette tape.
And one sealed envelope.
Avery opened it.
The first photograph showed Elena holding a newborn.
Avery.
The second showed Edward beside her.
The third showed Victor Mercer.
The fourth made Daniel sit down.
Victor stood beside Diane.
They were kissing.
Avery stared at her mother.
Diane whispered, "That isn't what you think."
Avery flipped the photograph.
A date was written behind it.
Three days after Edward's death.
Claire looked at her mother with horror.
"Mom?"
Diane shook her head.
Then Avery noticed another envelope beneath the photographs.
It was addressed in handwriting she didn't recognize.
TO MY DAUGHTER, AVERY.
The letter inside began with six words.
Edward Bennett was not murdered.
Avery looked up.
Luca's face changed.
She continued reading.
The person responsible for his death is standing beside you.
Avery's hand began trembling.
There were four people beside her.
Luca.
Claire.
Daniel.
And Diane.
Then the vault door slammed shut.
May you like
The lights went out.
And someone whispered Avery's name in the darkness.
