Chapter 2 - FOUR CHAIRS BEFORE EIGHT

Serena stared at Victor.

“What did you say?”

Victor closed the kitchen door behind him.

The boys remained inside with Dominic, arguing about who had eaten the most pancakes.

Victor lowered his voice.

“Your former husband was with Isabella the night she died.”

“No.”

“He was.”

“Adrian never knew your wife.”

“That is what somebody wanted us both to believe.”

Serena felt the hallway tilt beneath her.

Adrian Vale had been charming when she met him at twenty-four.

He had expensive taste without obvious money, endless confidence, and a talent for making every problem sound temporary.

Their marriage lasted five years.

By the fourth, Serena had discovered gambling debts, hidden loans, and women whose messages appeared on his phone after midnight.

When Serena finally left, Adrian transformed from indifferent husband to furious opponent.

He did not want Lucia until Serena wanted freedom.

Then custody became his weapon.

“You're mistaken,” she said.

Victor disappeared into his study and returned with a tablet.

He opened an archived security photograph.

The image showed Isabella Rinaldi leaving a Manhattan restaurant eighteen months earlier.

Beside her stood Adrian.

Serena's knees weakened.

“No.”

Victor enlarged the image.

Adrian's face became unmistakable.

“What was he doing with her?”

“I've spent eighteen months asking that question.”

“You investigated him?”

“I investigated everyone near Isabella during her final week.”

“And you never found me?”

“Vale used different addresses. Different business names.”

Serena looked at him sharply.

“What business names?”

Victor hesitated.

“Valence Family Consulting.”

Serena stopped breathing.

Valence Family Consulting was paying Adrian's custody attorney.

She knew because the company name appeared on a disclosure filed six months earlier.

At the time, she assumed Adrian had found some wealthy employer willing to finance him.

Now nothing made sense.

Victor studied her.

“Your hearing isn't just about Lucia.”

“You don't know that.”

“I know people don't spend this much money fighting for something unless they expect to gain more.”

Serena's phone buzzed.

A message.

Emergency placement approved. Child services arriving tonight.

Her vision blurred.

“No.”

Victor read her expression.

“What?”

“They're taking Lucia tonight.”

“Where is she?”

“With my neighbor.”

Victor turned toward Dominic.

“Car.”

Serena grabbed his arm.

“No.”

Victor looked down at her hand.

“You don't order my life.”

“Someone just used my name and my household to attack you.”

“This is my daughter.”

“And those are my sons.”

He pointed toward the kitchen.

“Someone connected our children before you walked through my door.”

Serena released him.

Victor's voice softened.

“Let me help.”

“I don't want your money.”

“Good. I wasn't offering money.”

“What are you offering?”

“Transportation. Lawyers. Witnesses. Evidence.”

“And what do you want?”

“The truth.”

Serena looked through the glass doors at the boys.

Matteo was secretly placing strawberries onto Nico's plate.

For all their chaos, they were children.

Just like Lucia.

“Fine.”

Twenty minutes later, two black SUVs crossed Manhattan through heavy rain.

Serena sat beside Victor.

Neither spoke until they reached her building.

A government vehicle was already outside.

Serena jumped from the SUV.

“Lucia!”

Her daughter stood beneath the apartment awning clutching a purple backpack.

A social worker held her hand.

Lucia saw Serena.

“Mom!”

Serena ran.

Lucia collided with her.

“I don't want to go!”

“You're not going anywhere.”

The social worker stepped forward.

“Ms. Valente, please don't make this harder.”

Victor emerged from the SUV.

The woman's expression changed.

Everyone recognized Victor Rinaldi.

Serena immediately turned on him.

“Stay back.”

He did.

That mattered.

Serena faced the social worker.

“Where is the order?”

She handed Serena a document.

Victor's attorney, summoned during the drive, examined it.

“This order was electronically approved thirty-eight minutes ago.”

Serena looked at him.

“So?”

“The petition references Ms. Valente's employment beginning tonight.”

Victor's eyes narrowed.

“She wasn't officially hired until eight.”

“Exactly.”

The attorney pointed to the timestamp.

“The petition was submitted at 6:11.”

Serena felt cold.

Before she had even arrived at Victor's mansion.

Someone knew.

The social worker looked uncertain.

Victor's attorney made two calls.

Ten minutes later, the removal was temporarily stayed pending a morning hearing.

Lucia remained with Serena.

Back at the mansion, Lucia entered cautiously.

Four heads appeared around the staircase.

Matteo whispered, “Is that her?”

Serena frowned.

“Were you listening?”

“No,” four voices answered.

Lucia stared at them.

“Why are there four of you?”

Luca grinned.

“Bad luck.”

For the first time all evening, Serena laughed.

Victor heard it from the doorway.

He had not realized until then how rarely laughter existed inside his house.

That night, Serena tucked Lucia into the guest room.

“Are we safe?”

Serena hesitated.

“Yes.”

It was what mothers said.

Even when they didn't know.

Lucia reached beneath her shirt and removed a tiny key on a necklace.

“Dad came to school last week.”

Serena froze.

“Adrian?”

Lucia nodded.

“He told me not to tell you.”

“What did he want?”

“He asked if Grandpa ever gave you a box.”

“What box?”

“I don't know.”

Lucia pulled something from her backpack.

A photograph.

Serena recognized her late father immediately.

Beside him stood Isabella Rinaldi.

And behind them—

Adrian Vale.

Serena's heart stopped.

Written across the back were four words in her father's handwriting.

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS—RINALDI.

Serena turned toward the open doorway.

Victor stood there.

He had seen the photograph.

Neither spoke.

Then Victor whispered:

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