Chapter 12 - THE FIRST VISIT
Maya wanted me to cancel Luca's visit with the twins.
I refused.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because someone is trying to make me afraid of every decision."
"That is not a legal reason."
"It is a parenting reason."
She studied me.
"You trust him with them?"
That was the only question that mattered.
I thought about the last several days.
Luca stepping between Mara and a camera.
Luca honoring thirty days when the easiest strategic move was to break them.
Luca believing me before the evidence cleared me.
I also remembered the man who once let me cry alone after fertility appointments.
Both versions were real.
"For two hours," I said.
"With you present?"
"Yes."
"Public place?"
"Not too public."
We chose the Chicago Children's Museum on a weekday morning before opening hours through a private educational program.
I hated that Luca could make a museum open early with one phone call.
I hated that the twins thought it was magical.
"There is nobody here!" Mara shouted.
Her voice echoed through the exhibit hall.
Eli ran toward a construction zone filled with foam blocks.
Luca looked at me.
"I did not close the museum."
"I was going to ask."
"They already had a private program slot."
"And you bought it."
"I donated to it."
"Same disease, different symptom."
He smiled.
For two hours, I watched him learn his children.
Eli wanted to understand how everything worked.
Mara wanted to touch everything that was not supposed to be touched.
Eli read instructions.
Mara invented better ones.
Luca discovered Mara hated bananas but loved banana bread.
He discovered Eli could not tie his shoes without making the knot too tight.
He discovered both twins called elevators "up-down rooms" when they were tired because that was what they called them as toddlers.
He discovered Mara had a tiny scar beneath her chin from falling off a scooter at four.
He stared at that scar too long.
"What?" Mara asked.
"Nothing."
"You are looking at my chin."
"I was wondering what happened."
"I crashed."
"Badly?"
"There was blood."
She sounded proud.
"Mom cried more than me."
"I did not cry."
"Your eyes leaked."
Luca looked at me.
I looked away.
Later, Eli climbed into a mock fire truck and asked Luca to sit beside him.
There was not enough room for Luca's knees.
He folded himself in anyway.
"Dad, were you there when I was born?"
The question came without warning.
Luca froze.
I stood several feet away.
He looked at me.
I did not answer for him.
"No," he said.
"Why?"
"I did not know you were being born."
"Because Mom did not tell you?"
"Yes."
Eli looked at me.
My chest tightened.
Luca continued before the silence could become blame.
"But there were reasons she was afraid to tell me."
Eli frowned.
"Were you scary?"
Luca swallowed.
"Not the way monsters are scary."
"Then how?"
"I made your mom feel like I would not listen to her."
Eli considered that.
"That is bad."
"Yes."
"Do you listen now?"
Luca glanced at me.
"I am trying."
Eli nodded.
"Mom says trying counts if you keep doing it."
I had to turn away.
The visit ended with ice cream at a small cafe inside the museum.
Mara got chocolate on Luca's cuff.
He looked at the stain.
Then at her terrified face.
"That suit probably cost more than my car," I said.
Mara's eyes widened.
Luca took a napkin and wiped the chocolate.
"Then the suit is badly overpriced."
Mara relaxed.
I did too.
When we left, Detective Ruiz was waiting near the private exit.
Her presence erased the morning's fragile normalcy.
"We found Claire Benton."
Luca's expression changed.
"Where?"
"O'Hare."
"Leaving?"
"Trying to board a flight to Toronto."
"Did she have the paternity test?"
Ruiz looked at me.
"Yes."
My stomach dropped.
"So she broke into my apartment."
"We are still investigating, but she had property taken from your home."
"Who hired her?"
Ruiz's face stayed neutral.
"She asked for an attorney."
"Of course."
"But she made one statement before invoking counsel."
Luca stepped closer.
"What?"
Ruiz looked at Evelyn, who had joined us by video through Maya's phone to hear the update.
Then she looked back at us.
"Benton said she never worked directly for Veronica Moretti."
I felt a chill.
"Then who?"
Ruiz hesitated.
"She said all of her recent instructions came through Patricia Hale."
Luca's jaw clenched.
"My mother's assistant."
"Former assistant," Ruiz corrected.
"Patricia resigned from Moretti Family Holdings this morning."
Maya's phone buzzed.
She checked the message.
"We have another problem."
I stared at her.
"What now?"
"Patricia just gave a television interview."
Luca closed his eyes.
Maya turned the screen toward us.
Patricia sat beneath studio lights with tears in her eyes.
The caption read FORMER MORETTI AIDE BREAKS SILENCE.
She looked directly into the camera.
"For years, I watched Luca Moretti's mother protect him from women who wanted access to his money."
My hands curled into fists.
Patricia continued.
"Nia Carter was not a victim."
May you like
Then she delivered the line that would be replayed everywhere by sunset.
"She knew exactly what Veronica was doing, and she was paid to participate."
