Chapter 2 - The Photograph with Half a Face
Daniel knew every trail surrounding Lake Bellagio.
As a child, he had escaped tutors and formal dinners by disappearing into the forest. His father always found him eventually, but Margaret rarely tried. She disliked mud, insects, and anything that could not be controlled by household staff.
Carrying two frightened children through the trees was different from running alone.
Ivy clung to his neck while Skye remained unusually silent in his other arm. Daniel moved uphill, choosing a narrow path hidden behind ferns. The mansion stood less than a mile away, but he did not take the direct route.
The dark vehicle remained near the boathouse.
Through the trees, Daniel saw a man step out.
He wore a gray coat and a cap pulled low over his forehead. His face was hidden, but his movements were confident. He did not search like a stranger. He went directly to the place where the twins had been sitting.
Then he looked toward the path leading to the Moretti estate.
Daniel continued uphill.
He called Paolo, the head of estate security.
“Close the north gate. Do not let any vehicle leave without checking the driver.”
“Is there a threat?”
“Yes.”
“Should I contact the police?”
“Not until I identify who is on the property.”
The man near the boathouse opened the old door using a key.
Daniel stopped walking.
Only four people were supposed to possess keys to the Moretti boathouse: Daniel, Margaret, Ethan, and Paolo.
The lock had not been replaced in fifteen years.
The stranger entered the building.
Daniel carried the twins through a grove of cypress trees toward a service entrance at the rear of the mansion.
His father’s former study had been converted into a private guest suite after his death. It could be accessed without passing through the main halls, and Margaret rarely entered it because the room still contained too many reminders of her husband.
Daniel brought the twins inside and locked the door.
The girls stood close together on the carpet, staring at the high ceiling and dark wooden shelves.
Skye pointed to a portrait above the fireplace.
“Mommy showed us him.”
Daniel looked up.
The portrait depicted his father, Carlo Moretti, seated beside the lake.
“What did she say?”
“She said he tried to help.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“Help with what?”
Skye pressed her lips together.
Ivy whispered something into her sister’s ear.
Daniel crouched in front of them.
“You are safe here. Nobody will hurt you.”
Ivy looked toward the locked door.
“Mommy said people say safe when they want you to stop asking.”
The words were too careful for a three-year-old.
Daniel wondered how many times the child had heard them.
A knock sounded.
Both twins flinched.
“It’s Doctor Sofia,” a woman called from the other side.
Daniel opened the door after checking through the glass panel.
Sofia Bellini had known Daniel since childhood. She carried a medical case and a bag containing food, water, and children’s clothing.
“I came alone,” she said.
Daniel explained as little as possible while she examined the girls. Both were dehydrated and exhausted, but neither showed signs of serious illness or recent injury. Their feet had small scratches from walking without shoes.
Sofia cleaned the scratches and gave them soft socks.
“They need rest and proper meals,” she told Daniel quietly. “They are also frightened of being separated. Do not question them aggressively.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“You are questioning me aggressively.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“They may be my daughters.”
Sofia looked at the twins.
Then she looked at Daniel again.
“What makes you believe that?”
He handed her the damaged photograph.
Sofia’s face changed when she recognized Claire’s bracelet.
“Daniel, where did they get this?”
“From their mother.”
Before Sofia could respond, someone tried the outside door.
The handle moved once.
Then twice.
Daniel crossed the room.
“Who is it?”
“Ethan.”
Daniel did not open the door.
His cousin spoke again.
“Paolo said you returned through the service entrance. Your mother is asking for you.”
“I am busy.”
“There was an unknown vehicle near the north gate. We should discuss security.”
Daniel looked through the narrow side window.
Ethan stood alone in the corridor. He wore a charcoal coat.
Not gray.
But close enough to make Daniel’s pulse quicken.
“Did you go to the boathouse?” Daniel asked.
A pause followed.
“No. Why would I?”
Daniel watched Ethan’s expression through the glass.
It was calm.
Too calm.
“Someone entered it with a key.”
“Then Paolo should investigate.”
“He is.”
Ethan stepped closer to the window.
“What is happening in there?”
One of the twins dropped a wooden toy Sofia had given her.
The sound carried through the door.
Ethan’s gaze shifted.
“Are there children with you?”
Daniel did not answer.
Ethan’s face remained still, but a muscle moved near his jaw.
“Daniel, open the door.”
“No.”
“We are family.”
“That is not a reason.”
Ethan lowered his voice.
“If this concerns Claire, you should speak to me before you do anything reckless.”
Daniel’s hand tightened around the door handle.
“I never said Claire’s name.”
Silence filled the corridor.
Behind Daniel, Sofia slowly moved the twins away from the entrance.
Ethan stepped back.
“You looked upset. I assumed.”
“No, you didn’t.”
Daniel unlocked the door suddenly and pulled it open.
Ethan stood six feet away.
For the first time, Daniel saw genuine alarm in his cousin’s eyes.
Ivy looked past Daniel.
She saw Ethan.
The bread bag slipped from her hands.
She made a small sound and hid behind Sofia.
Ethan stared at the child as though he had seen a ghost.
Daniel moved between them.
“You recognize her.”
Ethan recovered quickly.
“Of course not.”
“You recognized her before she moved.”
“You are imagining things.”
Ethan turned toward the main hallway.
Daniel grabbed his arm.
“What did you do to Claire?”
Ethan pulled free.
“Ask your mother.”
Then he walked away.
Daniel remained at the door, watching him disappear.
Inside the room, Skye picked up the torn photograph.
She turned it over.
May you like
On the back, beneath a smear of dirt, Claire had written four words.
Do not trust the family.
