Chapter 3 - THE WATCH THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
I stared at the silver pocket watch on the floor.
It was heavy, antique, and deeply scuffed along the edges. The clasp was slightly bent, as if someone had tried to pry it open in a hurry.
Natalie froze.
For a second, all the fire went out of her. The confident, untouchable woman who had just commanded an entire dining room suddenly looked terrified.
She dropped to her knees and snatched it up.
"Leave it," a voice said.
Angelo had followed her into the hallway.
He wasn't yelling. He didn't have to. The quiet authority in his voice made the air in the room feel heavy.
Natalie stood up, clutching the watch so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"It's just an old trinket," she said, her voice shaking. "A gift I bought for you. For the wedding."
Angelo extended his hand.
"Let me see it."
"No. It's ruined now. The surprise is ruined."
"Natalie."
He didn't move. He didn't raise his voice. He just stood there with his hand open.
Slowly, reluctantly, she placed the watch in his palm.
Angelo flipped it over.
His thumb traced the engraving on the back. I couldn't see the letters, but I saw the color drain from Angelo's face.
"Where did you get this?" he asked softly.
Natalie swallowed. "An antique shop in the city. Why?"
"Because," Angelo said, his eyes locking onto hers, "this is my father's watch. The one that went missing the night he died."
Natalie took a step back.
"I... I don't know what you mean. I bought it."
"My father's initials are engraved on it. A.V. Along with a date." Angelo's voice was dangerously calm. "This watch hasn't been seen in ten years."
In the dining room, the guests had gone completely silent. You could hear the faint clinking of silverware, but no one was talking.
Rocco appeared in the doorway.
When he saw the watch in Angelo's hand, he stopped breathing.
"Angelo," Rocco whispered.
"Did you know she had this?" Angelo asked his brother.
Rocco shook his head, but his eyes were darting back and forth. He looked like a man trapped in a burning building.
"I swear I didn't," Rocco said.
Erin stepped up behind Rocco, gently holding Mason by the shoulders. The little boy was clutching his half-eaten dinner roll, watching the adults with wide, anxious eyes.
"Mom," Mason whispered. "Are we in trouble?"
"No, sweetie," Erin murmured, smoothing his hair. "We're perfectly safe."
But her eyes were fixed on the silver watch.
"That watch," Erin said softly.
Angelo looked at her. "You recognize it?"
Erin hesitated. She looked at Rocco, who gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head.
"Answer him, Erin," Angelo said gently.
"Rocco brought it to my apartment," Erin said, her voice trembling. "Eight years ago. Right before Mason was born. He said... he said he needed to sell it to pay for the hospital bills. Because the family had cut him off."
Angelo turned slowly toward his brother.
"I never cut you off, Rocco. Never."
Rocco's face crumpled. "Angelo, I can explain."
"You stole our father's watch the night he died?"
"No!" Rocco shouted, the first time he had raised his voice all night. "I didn't steal it! He gave it to me! He gave it to me and told me to run!"
Angelo stepped closer. "Run from what?"
Rocco looked at Natalie.
Natalie's face was a mask of pure panic. She shook her head, a silent warning.
"Tell him, Rocco," Erin said quietly. "Tell him the truth. For Mason's sake."
Rocco took a deep breath. He looked at his son, then at his brother.
"Dad knew about Natalie," Rocco confessed. "He knew what she was doing. He gave me the watch to sell so I could afford to take Erin and the baby away. To protect us from her."
Angelo frowned. "Protect you from Natalie? She was barely in our lives back then."
"She wasn't in your life," Rocco corrected him, his voice cracking. "But she was in mine."
Natalie lunged forward, trying to snatch the watch back. "He's lying! He's a coward and a liar!"
Angelo effortlessly caught her wrist, holding her back without hurting her.
"Lila," Angelo said without looking at me.
"Yes, sir?"
"Take Mason into the kitchen. Give him whatever he wants to eat."
I nodded quickly. "Come on, Mason. Let's go see if there's any ice cream left."
The little boy looked at his dad. Rocco nodded slowly.
As I led Mason away, I glanced back down the hallway.
Erin was digging through her purse. Her hands were shaking violently.
"If we're telling the truth," Erin said, her voice echoing off the marble walls. "Then you need to see this."
She pulled something out of her wallet and handed it to Angelo.
A faded, folded photograph.
Angelo opened it.
May you like
I couldn't see the picture, but I saw the way Angelo's jaw clenched. He looked from the photo to Natalie, his eyes dark with a cold, terrifying anger.
"Is this why?" Angelo whispered.
