Chapter 4: The Woman Behind the Wedding
Victoria arrived the next morning.
She didn’t come secretly.
She didn’t hide.
She walked through the front door of my father’s house wearing a cream coat and the same perfect smile she had worn at her wedding.
The wedding I never attended.
The wedding that destroyed my life.
“Elena.””
I stared at her.
“You knew.””
Her smile faded.
“Yes.””
The answer was too easy.
“You knew about Leo.””
“Yes.””
My hands shook.
“And you let me leave.””
Victoria looked down.
“I thought I was helping you.””
I laughed.
“Helping me?””
“You were never safe with Dante.””
Dante, standing behind me, went completely still.
Victoria noticed.
“See? He never told you.””
I turned.
“Told me what?””
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“Victoria.””
“No.””
She looked at me.
“You deserve the truth.””
The room became silent.
Victoria stepped closer.
“Dante Moretti destroyed my family.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“My father lost everything because of him.””
Dante said nothing.
“You knew?”” I asked him.
“I knew her father hated me.””
“Why?””
Victoria smiled sadly.
“Because Dante ruined him.””
Dante finally spoke.
“Your father was laundering money through my company.””
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“You always make yourself the victim.””
“And you always rewrite history.””
I looked between them.
Two people I loved.
Two people who had been keeping secrets.
“Enough.””
My voice surprised both of them.
“I am done being the person everyone protects by lying to.””
Nobody spoke.
I turned to Dante.
“You first.””
He nodded.
“My father and Victoria’s father were partners. When I discovered what they were doing, I ended it.””
“And?””
“And her father blamed me.””
Victoria looked away.
“He died believing Dante stole everything from him.””
“And you married Dante because?””
Her eyes filled.
“Because I wanted revenge.””
The words landed like a gunshot.
Dante looked at her.
“I knew.””
I stared.
“You knew she wanted revenge?””
“Yes.””
“Then why?””
“Because I needed her close.””
Victoria laughed.
“And because he thought he could control everything.””
She looked at me.
“But he couldn’t control one thing.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Her eyes moved toward the stairs.
Toward Leo.
“He couldn’t control how much he loved you.””
The silence was unbearable.
Then Victoria whispered:
“And that’s why I took the one thing he cared about.””
I stepped forward.
“What did you do?””
She smiled.
“I told him you left because you never loved him.””
Dante’s face changed.
Victoria continued.
“I told him you chose Switzerland over him.””
I looked at Dante.
“You believed her?””
“For three years,” he said quietly.
My heart broke.
Because suddenly I understood.
We had both been abandoned.
Not by choice.
By a lie.
Then Victoria reached into her purse.
She placed a small envelope on the table.
“I didn’t come here to fight.””
I stared at it.
“What is that?””
Her voice became a whisper.
“The reason Leo was never supposed to meet Dante.””
I opened it.
Inside was one photograph.
A hospital bracelet.
And a name.
Not Leo.
Another child.
My hands went numb.
“What is this?””
Victoria looked at Dante.
May you like
Then at me.
“Because your son isn’t the only secret from that night.””
