Chapter 2 - THE WARNING IN THE PIANO
Naomi's fingers tightened around Vivian's wrist.
For three seconds, neither woman moved.
The mansion seemed to hold its breath.
Then Vivian's expression changed.
The polished smile disappeared.
What remained was colder than anger.
"You should let go of me."
Naomi stared directly into her eyes.
"No."
Vivian's eyebrows lifted.
"You've forgotten your place."
"No," Naomi whispered. "I finally understand it."
Vivian yanked her arm.
Naomi held on.
The struggle lasted only a moment before Isabella made another sound.
A broken gasp.
Naomi released Vivian instantly and turned toward the old woman.
Isabella was pointing at the piano.
Not at the documents.
Not at Vivian.
The piano.
Her trembling finger hovered over the polished black wood.
Naomi frowned.
"What?"
Isabella tried to speak.
"Lu..."
Her voice failed.
"Lu..."
"Luca?" Naomi asked.
Isabella nodded.
Vivian stepped toward the table.
"She's confused."
Naomi looked at her.
"She knew his name."
"Of course she knows his name."
"Then why are you so nervous?"
Vivian's face hardened.
"I'm not nervous."
Before Naomi could answer, headlights swept across the tall windows.
A car.
Then another.
Then another.
Vivian froze.
Naomi's heart began pounding.
Luca.
The front doors opened somewhere downstairs.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the mansion.
Fast.
Purposeful.
More than one man.
Vivian looked toward the hallway.
"How long?"
Naomi didn't answer.
Vivian rushed to the table and grabbed the declaration.
She folded it once.
Then again.
Naomi moved toward her.
"Put it down."
Vivian shoved the document into her purse.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with."
"I understand enough."
Vivian's eyes flashed.
"No, you don't."
A man's voice thundered from downstairs.
"VIVIAN!"
Isabella flinched.
Naomi immediately moved beside her.
Footsteps approached.
Luca Moretti appeared in the doorway.
He had arrived without removing his black suit jacket.
His tie was loosened.
His face was expressionless.
Behind him stood four armed security men.
Luca's eyes moved across the room.
First to his mother.
Then to Naomi.
Then to Vivian.
Then to the broken lock.
Finally, he saw the red mark on Isabella's cheek.
Something changed in his face.
Not rage.
Something worse.
Silence.
He walked toward his mother.
"Ma."
Isabella looked up.
Her lips trembled.
Luca crouched beside her.
"Who did this?"
Isabella stared at him.
Then she looked at Vivian.
Luca followed her gaze.
He stood.
"Vivian."
She swallowed.
"She attacked me first."
Luca said nothing.
Vivian rushed on.
"Your mother has become unstable since the stroke. She attacked me because I was trying to help her sign a medical authorization."
Luca's eyes moved to the table.
"Medical authorization?"
Vivian nodded quickly.
"She needs someone to make decisions for her."
"And you decided that person should be you?"
"It was for your protection."
"My protection?"
"Your business. Your family. Everything you've built."
Luca slowly turned toward the document.
"Where is it?"
Vivian hesitated.
"I don't know."
Naomi spoke.
"She put it in her purse."
Vivian glared at her.
Luca held out his hand.
"Give it to me."
Vivian didn't move.
"Vivian."
She slowly opened her purse.
Then stopped.
"There is no reason to make this ugly."
Luca smiled.
It was a terrifying smile.
"You already did."
Vivian pulled out the document.
Luca took it.
He unfolded it.
His eyes moved down the page.
His jaw tightened.
"What is this?"
Vivian stepped closer.
"A declaration of incapacity."
"Signed by my mother?"
"She agreed."
Luca looked at Isabella.
His mother shook her head violently.
"No."
It was the clearest word she had spoken in months.
Luca looked back at Vivian.
"You heard her."
Vivian's voice softened.
"She's frightened."
"Of you?"
"No. Of what's happening to her."
Luca held the paper up.
"This says she is mentally incapable of managing her financial affairs."
"She is."
"And this section?"
Vivian's face went pale.
"What about it?"
Luca read it again.
"Authority over her private estate."
He looked up.
"Who gets control?"
Vivian didn't answer.
Luca's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
Naomi stepped closer.
"Your mother."
Luca looked at her.
Naomi pointed at the signature line.
"She wasn't signing anything. Vivian was forcing her thumb onto the ink pad."
The room went silent.
Luca stared at the red ink on Isabella's thumb.
Then at the bruise around her wrist.
Then at the torn cardigan.
His voice dropped.
"How long?"
Vivian shook her head.
"I don't know what you're asking."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"I haven't."
Luca took one step toward her.
Vivian stepped back.
"I love you."
He stopped.
For the first time, emotion crossed his face.
Disappointment.
"You love me?"
"Yes."
"Then why were you stealing my mother's signature?"
"I wasn't stealing anything."
"Why was the door locked?"
"Because she was agitated."
"Why did you hit her?"
"I didn't."
Naomi spoke quietly.
"I saw you."
Vivian snapped toward her.
"You've been trying to destroy me since the day I came here."
Naomi shook her head.
"I didn't even know you before you arrived."
"You're lying."
Luca raised one hand.
Everyone stopped.
He looked at his security chief.
"Search the room."
The men moved immediately.
Vivian's eyes widened.
"You can't search my belongings."
Luca didn't look at her.
"Take her purse."
One guard stepped forward.
Vivian clutched it.
"No."
Luca finally looked at her.
"Give it to him."
She didn't.
The guard took it.
Vivian screamed.
"Don't!"
The purse fell open.
Contents spilled across the carpet.
Lipstick.
Keys.
A phone.
A small bottle of perfume.
And a second document.
Luca crouched.
He picked it up.
His eyes stopped moving.
"What is this?"
Vivian's face drained of color.
Naomi watched him read.
The document was not another medical form.
It was a transfer authorization.
And the beneficiary wasn't Vivian.
It was a company Naomi had never heard of.
Luca recognized the name instantly.
His expression turned cold.
"Where did you get this?"
Vivian said nothing.
"Vivian."
Still nothing.
Luca folded the paper.
"Call the attorney."
His security chief immediately reached for his phone.
Vivian's composure finally cracked.
"Wait."
Luca looked at her.
"You said you loved me."
"I do."
"Then tell me the truth."
Vivian's eyes filled with tears.
"I was trying to protect you."
"From whom?"
She looked toward Isabella.
Then toward Naomi.
Finally, she whispered:
"From your family."
Luca stared at her.
"My family?"
Vivian nodded.
"Your mother has been hiding something from you."
Isabella suddenly began pounding her hand against the piano.
Three low notes.
Two high.
Three low.
Luca turned.
His face changed.
"That pattern."
Naomi whispered:
"She played it when you left."
Luca walked toward the piano.
He studied his mother.
"Ma, what are you trying to tell me?"
Isabella's breathing became faster.
She pointed toward the piano bench.
Luca moved it.
Nothing.
He moved the piano cushion.
Nothing.
Then Naomi noticed something.
"Wait."
She crouched beside the piano.
There was a thin scratch beneath the lowest panel.
Luca saw it.
He pulled the panel open.
Inside was a small black metal box.
Isabella closed her eyes.
Vivian whispered:
"No."
Luca picked up the box.
A single word was engraved on its lid.
LUCA.
He looked at his mother.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Isabella began to cry.
Luca opened the box.
Inside was a flash drive.
Three photographs.
And one handwritten note.
He unfolded the note.
His eyes moved across the first line.
Then the second.
By the third line, every trace of emotion had disappeared from his face.
Naomi watched him.
"What does it say?"
Luca didn't answer.
He turned the note over.
At the bottom was a sentence written in Isabella's shaky handwriting:
IF VIVIAN EVER MAKES ME SIGN, DO NOT TRUST THE PERSON YOU THINK YOU KNOW.
Luca slowly looked at Vivian.
She was crying now.
But she wasn't afraid.
She looked relieved.
As if something much worse had just begun.
And then Luca noticed the date on the note.
It had been written seven months ago.
One month before Vivian entered the Moretti mansion.
Luca's blood ran cold.
Because that meant his mother had known.
And she had been warning him long before anyone realized there was a threat.
Behind them, one of Luca's guards suddenly spoke.
"Boss."
Luca turned.
The guard held up Isabella's medical file.
"There is something wrong with this."
"What?"
"The doctor's signature."
He pointed to the last page.
"Your mother's neurologist died six months ago."
Luca stared at the signature.
Then at Vivian.
"Who has been treating my mother?"
Vivian said nothing.
The guard answered for her.
"Someone has been visiting this house under the doctor's identity."
Luca's eyes hardened.
"Find out who."
The guard nodded.
"And Boss?"
"Yes?"
"We found another phone."
He held it up.
"It was hidden inside Vivian's coat."
The screen was still lit.
One message had just arrived.
Luca read it.
THE SON IS HOME. ABORT PHASE TWO.
His eyes lifted slowly.
Vivian saw his expression.
She stopped crying.
For the first time, she looked genuinely terrified.
Luca whispered:
"Phase two?"
May you like
Then the lights went out.
The mansion plunged into darkness.
