Chapter 2 - The Woman in White
By nine that morning, my fiancée had arrived.
Celeste Vale entered the mansion wearing an ivory coat and carrying enough confidence to make everyone else in the room seem improperly dressed.
She was thirty-three.
Beautiful.
Educated.
Controlled.
Our marriage had been negotiated eighteen months earlier.
Not forced.
Not romantic.
Useful.
The Moretti family controlled the docks.
The Vale family controlled trucking routes and distribution warehouses.
Marriage would combine both networks.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
Celeste kissed my cheek.
“You disappeared after the funeral.”
“I came home.”
“You ignored six calls.”
“I was occupied.”
Her eyes moved toward Noah.
He sat near the fireplace drawing dinosaurs.
“Why is Mara’s son still here?”
The question was reasonable.
I hated it anyway.
“Because he has nowhere else to go.”
Celeste lowered her voice.
“My father already contacted a private boarding residence.”
“No.”
She blinked.
“Roman—”
“He stays.”
Silence.
Across the room, Noah continued drawing.
Celeste studied me.
Something had changed between us.
She knew it.
She simply did not know what.
Then Dominic Vale entered.
He was sixty-four, silver-haired, immaculate, and followed everywhere by men who pretended not to be bodyguards.
“Roman.”
He opened his arms.
“My condolences.”
I shook his hand.
His eyes briefly touched Noah.
For less than a second.
But that second mattered.
Recognition.
Not curiosity.
Recognition.
Mara had been right.
I smiled.
“Coffee?”
Dominic smiled back.
“Please.”
For the next twenty minutes, we discussed wedding arrangements.
Flowers.
Security.
Guests.
A charity announcement.
I barely listened.
Instead, I watched Dominic.
Every time Noah moved, Dominic noticed.
Finally Noah approached me holding his drawing.
“Mr. Roman?”
“Yes?”
“Look.”
A green dinosaur stood beside three stick figures.
One was Noah.
One was Mara.
The third was apparently me.
My stick figure had enormous arms.
“Why am I shaped like a refrigerator?”
Noah shrugged.
“You’re big.”
Nico coughed to hide a laugh.
Then Noah pointed toward the locket on the table.
“I forgot. Mommy said that belonged to my other mommy.”
Dominic's coffee cup stopped halfway to his mouth.
Celeste turned.
“Other mommy?”
Nobody moved.
Noah looked confused.
I stood.
“Nico.”
“Yes?”
“Take Noah to breakfast.”
“But I already had cereal.”
“Then have pancakes.”
Noah immediately abandoned all objections.
When the door closed behind him, Celeste looked at me.
“What was he talking about?”
I watched Dominic.
“That's what I'm trying to discover.”
Dominic placed down his cup.
“Children misunderstand things.”
“Sometimes.”
“You've had a difficult morning.”
“I have.”
His smile returned.
“We should postpone business.”
“No.”
I leaned against the table.
“I think business has waited long enough.”
May you like
For the first time since I had known him, Dominic Vale looked uncertain.
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