Chapter 12 - The Missing Brother
Luca's car was found near a ferry terminal, keys still in the ignition. His phone had been switched off. Adrian wanted to search for him personally, but investigators urged him not to interfere.
I remembered Luca's fear when he saw my father's ledger. He had been manipulated, but he was also ashamed. "Maybe he ran," I suggested. "Maybe he's afraid of what he'll have to admit."
The next afternoon Luca contacted his attorney. He was alive and had gone into hiding after receiving threats against a woman he loved, a schoolteacher named Nora Ellis.
He returned under protection and testified. He admitted he had passed internal documents to Vincent, believing the attorney was investigating Adrian. Those documents had helped Vincent plan the gala attack.
Adrian listened without interrupting.
"I betrayed you," Luca said afterward.
"Yes," Adrian replied. "And now you have a chance to tell the truth. Don't waste it."
Their reconciliation was not immediate. It began with a conversation and the willingness to have another.
I took a room in a small coastal inn while the investigation continued. Adrian did not ask me to return to the estate. He visited on weekends, bringing coffee and stories about ordinary things he was learning to enjoy: cooking pasta badly, walking without guards, losing at chess to Luca.
One Saturday he asked whether I would consider building a future with him when the legal proceedings ended.
"Ask me again when you're not afraid of the answer," I said, smiling.
May you like
"I'm terrified of it," he admitted.
For once, that was a good sign.
