Chapter 2 - Eleven Minutes of Silence
Vittorio watched the recording without sitting down.
The breakfast room remained wrecked around him.
Marcus groaned beside the broken antique map stand.
Bianca sat against the ottoman, one hand pressed to her shoulder.
Lucy clung to Emma’s uniform.
Nobody spoke.
On Emma’s phone, the video continued.
9:41.
An empty breakfast room.
9:43.
Emma crossing the frame to adjust flowers.
9:46.
Bianca entering.
9:48.
Marcus arriving with the canvas bag.
Vittorio looked at Marcus.
“You brought it.”
Marcus wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
“Vittorio, listen to me.”
Vittorio raised one finger.
Marcus stopped.
On screen, Marcus removed the dog food.
Bianca laughed.
The sound seemed louder coming from the tiny phone speaker.
“She needs to understand,” Bianca said in the recording.
Marcus answered.
“And if she cries?”
“She always cries.”
“What if Emma interferes?”
“She won’t.”
Vittorio glanced toward Emma.
The housekeeper lowered her head.
The video continued.
Bianca placed the bowl on the table.
Then she said something that made Vittorio’s entire body go still.
“After we’re married, Lucy goes to boarding school.”
Marcus leaned against the table.
“And the trust?”
“Once Vittorio updates the guardianship documents, it becomes easier.”
“What about her inheritance?”
Bianca smiled.
“You worry too much.”
The real Vittorio looked away from the phone.
Bianca spoke quickly.
“That sounds worse than it was.”
He ignored her.
On screen, Marcus lowered his voice.
“What about Elena’s property?”
That name changed the room.
Vittorio replayed the last five seconds.
Elena.
His dead wife.
Bianca had been discussing Elena’s property with Marcus.
Bianca stood.
“Vittorio, you’re angry. I understand that. But Marcus handles family trusts. We discuss assets.”
“You discussed my dead wife’s estate before forcing my daughter to eat from a dog bowl.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Lucy whimpered.
Vittorio looked at her.
The child buried her face against Emma.
He handed the phone back.
“How many times?”
Emma’s eyes filled.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I saw seven incidents.”
Vittorio’s voice dropped.
“Seven?”
“I suspect more.”
He stared at her.
“And you waited.”
Emma looked toward Lucy.
“I was scared.”
“My daughter was six.”
“I know.”
“You were the adult.”
“I know.”
His anger was controlled now.
That frightened everyone more.
Emma swallowed.
“I tried once. Bianca intercepted your call. After that, she threatened my sister.”
Bianca laughed bitterly.
“Oh, please.”
Emma reached into her apron.
She removed an envelope.
Inside was a printed screenshot.
A message from Bianca.
Remember who signs your sister’s employment references.
Another.
Remember which lawyer handled her residency file.
Vittorio read them.
Bianca’s face tightened.
“That proves nothing.”
Emma reached into the envelope again.
“There’s more.”
She produced a small memory card.
Marcus suddenly stopped pretending to be injured.
His head snapped toward it.
Vittorio noticed.
“What is that?”
Emma hesitated.
“A backup.”
“Of today?”
“Of everything I could collect.”
Marcus pushed himself upright.
“We should have a lawyer present.”
Vittorio looked at him.
“You will.”
Marcus seemed relieved for half a second.
Then Vittorio finished.
“Several.”
Bianca stood.
“You cannot keep us here.”
“No.”
Vittorio took his phone from his pocket.
“But I can decide who is allowed inside my home.”
He called security.
Two estate guards appeared less than a minute later.
Vittorio pointed toward the front entrance.
“Escort Mr. Hale and Ms. Moretti from the property.”
Bianca stared at him.
“You’re throwing me out?”
“Yes.”
“We’re engaged.”
“Not anymore.”
Her face changed.
Only briefly.
The mask cracked.
Hatred appeared beneath it.
“You think that little girl is innocent?”
Vittorio stepped between Bianca and Lucy.
“Choose your next sentence carefully.”
Bianca looked past him anyway.
“She lies.”
Lucy began shaking.
Vittorio saw it.
Not ordinary fear.
Recognition.
The kind of fear created through repetition.
His anger transformed into something colder.
Bianca saw that too.
She changed tactics.
“Vittorio, you’ve been gone constantly. You don’t understand what happens here.”
“That is the first truthful thing you’ve said.”
Bianca blinked.
Vittorio continued.
“I was gone.”
His voice softened.
“I left her here believing you were protecting her.”
For the first time, guilt cut through his rage.
Lucy peeked up at him.
Vittorio crouched.
“Come here.”
She moved into his arms instantly.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Lucy clutched his jacket.
“Are you mad at me?”
The question destroyed him.
“No.”
“Because Bianca said if I told you, you’d send me away.”
Vittorio closed his eyes.
Bianca turned toward the door.
“Enough.”
Vittorio stood with Lucy in his arms.
“You told her that?”
Bianca did not answer.
Security opened the doors.
Marcus moved first.
Bianca followed.
Before crossing the threshold, she looked back.
“You have no idea what Emma gave you.”
Emma went pale.
Bianca smiled.
“Ask her why Elena’s name is on the memory card.”
The doors closed.
Vittorio slowly turned.
Emma looked terrified again.
Not of Bianca.
Of him.
“Why is my wife’s name on that card?”
Emma’s lips trembled.
“Because Bianca wasn’t the first person in this house to talk about Elena after she died.”
Vittorio stared at her.
“Who was?”
May you like
Emma whispered.
“Marcus.”
