Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN IN THE RED DRESS CAME TO MY HOSPITAL ROOM
Serena Vale entered wearing black.
Not red.
Different dress.
Different woman.
No makeup except whatever had survived rain.
Her dark hair was pulled back.
She looked exhausted.
And afraid.
Nico stood near the window.
The moment she saw him, she stopped.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
He laughed bitterly.
“I could say the same.”
She looked at me.
“Ava.”
“We’ve never met.”
“I know.”
“Apparently that didn’t stop you from kissing my boyfriend.”
Nico closed his eyes.
Serena took the hit.
“No.”
“I’m tired. So skip whatever polished explanation wealthy women give when they sleep with somebody else’s partner.”
Her face tightened.
“I didn’t sleep with him.”
“Congratulations.”
Nico almost reacted.
Then thought better of it.
Serena looked at Lila.
For one second, her expression softened.
Then she looked back at me.
“My father used me.”
“So did you use Nico?”
“Yes.”
That surprised everyone.
Nico stared.
Serena continued.
“I knew why Dad wanted the meeting.”
“Marriage?”
“Public engagement.”
“And you agreed.”
“I agreed to discuss it.”
“Why?”
Her mouth twisted.
“Because my father controls the Vale trust until I turn thirty-five.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.”
“Three years.”
“Three years is long when somebody controls every company you built.”
There it was.
Another dynasty.
Another parent calling control family.
Serena continued.
“My father told me Nico’s relationship with you was ending.”
I looked at Nico.
He shook his head.
“I never said that.”
“I know that now.”
Serena looked ashamed.
“He said you were pregnant, unhappy, and planning to move to Boston.”
“I threatened to move to my sister’s once.”
“He made it sound final.”
“And that made kissing him okay?”
“No.”
Good.
Nobody in this room wanted excuses tonight.
Serena swallowed.
“I wanted the alliance because it would move three of my companies outside my father’s direct control.”
Nico laughed.
“So I was an exit strategy.”
“Yes.”
He looked hurt.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Serena continued:
“But I did not pay Paul.”
Vincent watched her.
“Your father’s security subsidiary did.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I know what Dad wanted Paul to do.”
The room became silent.
My pulse jumped.
“What?”
“He needed Nico to stay at Bellario’s until eight.”
“We know.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You know the timing. Not the reason.”
Nico stepped closer.
“What reason?”
Serena looked at me.
“Dad knew about the baby.”
I stopped breathing.
“How?”
“My aunt sits on the board at St. Catherine’s.”
My stomach turned.
“She accessed my records?”
“Not directly. She received a compliance alert when Nico’s name appeared as emergency contact after you were admitted.”
Vincent swore.
Serena continued.
“She called my father.”
“When?”
“Five nineteen.”
I had arrived at the hospital at 5:02.
Nico’s first ignored call had been 5:07.
“What did Victor do?”
“He told Paul not to give Nico his phone.”
Nico’s face went cold.
Serena looked at him.
“He wanted the engagement letter signed before you knew Lila was born.”
“Why?”
“So Vale attorneys could file the alliance covenant first.”
Vincent stared.
“You’re saying Victor planned to use a hospital emergency to front-run a trust transfer?”
“Yes.”
I almost laughed from disbelief.
Lila made a small sound.
Everyone stopped.
I lifted her.
My daughter settled against my chest.
All these adults.
Millions.
Ports.
Trusts.
Contracts.
And the center of it was a baby who wanted milk.
“This is disgusting.”
Serena’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“Did you know?”
“Not until after Nico kissed me.”
Nico looked at her.
“When did you know?”
“My father came into the private room and said, ‘Now we can finish before Moretti finds out he has a daughter.’”
The air left the room.
Nico’s expression became terrifyingly calm.
“And what did you do?”
“I left.”
“No.”
“You were gone.”
“I left the back exit.”
Nico frowned.
Then understood.
The photograph.
Someone had captured the kiss before Serena left.
“Who posted the photo?” I asked.
Serena looked at me.
“My father’s communications director.”
“Why?”
“To make it impossible for Nico to publicly deny the relationship after signing.”
Everything had been arranged.
The photograph.
The delay.
The phone.
My labor.
Nico’s weakness had made it possible.
But Victor Vale had built the trap.
Serena stepped closer.
“I am sorry.”
I looked at her.
“For your father?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“For me.”
Her voice cracked.
“I knew you existed.”
At least she said it.
“I knew you were pregnant.”
Her eyes moved to Lila.
“And I kissed him anyway.”
Nico spoke quietly.
“I kissed you too.”
Serena looked at him.
“I know.”
That mattered.
No convenient female villain carrying all the guilt.
I looked at both of them.
“You two can share that failure.”
Neither argued.
Then Serena reached into her purse.
“I brought something.”
Vincent’s posture changed.
“Slowly.”
She gave him a look.
“Relax.”
She removed a flash drive.
“My father’s assistant gave me access to his private transaction archive last month.”
“Why?”
“I was trying to prove he moved Vale assets illegally.”
She held out the drive.
“Nico’s not the only Moretti he has been paying.”
Vincent took it.
“Who?”
Serena looked toward the hallway.
“Paul.”
“We know.”
“And Matteo.”
Nico stopped.
“What?”
His younger brother.
Matteo Moretti.
The man who had stood beside Lila’s bassinet three hours earlier.
Vincent looked at the drive.
“How much?”
“Almost four million over eighteen months.”
Nico’s face hardened.
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”
That answer frightened me more than if she had.
Nico called Matteo.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Vincent called.
Nothing.
Then Angelo walked into the room.
He looked at our faces.
“What happened?”
Nico said:
“Matteo is on Vale’s payroll.”
Angelo went completely still.
Serena looked at him.
“I have records.”
Angelo’s eyes moved to her.
Then to the flash drive.
“Since when?”
“Eighteen months.”
Angelo said nothing.
Nico turned.
“Dad.”
Still nothing.
Then Angelo looked at me.
“I owe you an apology.”
I frowned.
“For what?”
“For believing tonight’s problem was outside my family.”
He looked at Nico.
“Apparently it is not.”
Before anyone could speak, my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
A photograph loaded.
Matteo.
Standing beside my Hoboken apartment building.
Taken ten minutes earlier.
Below it:
If Nico wants the trust shares, tell him to stop asking questions.
Nico grabbed the phone.
His face went white.
“Why is Matteo at our building?”
Then another message appeared.
Tell Moretti to choose: Pier Nine or the mother of his child.
My blood froze.
Nico looked at me.
For once, there was no power in his face.
Only fear.
“Ava.”
I held Lila closer.
May you like
“What?”
“We’re not going home.”
