Chapter 8 - THE FATHER WHO SIGNED THE LIE
“LUCA MORETTI, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.”
The federal agent stood in the entrance hall of the Moretti mansion.
Behind her, four agents waited beneath the enormous portrait of Antonio Moretti.
Luca looked at the warrant.
Then at the woman holding it.
“Special Agent?”
“Jennifer Collins. FBI.”
“What exactly am I being accused of?”
“Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and involvement in the concealment of assets belonging to the Moretti Family Trust.”
Luca laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“My family is the victim.”
“That will be determined in court.”
“Who's your source?”
“I can't discuss that.”
“Robert Sterling?”
Collins didn't answer.
Luca understood.
Behind him, Clara appeared in the hallway.
Her face was pale.
“Mr. Moretti?”
He turned.
“Go back upstairs.”
“But—”
“Clara. Please.”
She stopped.
Luca looked at Caleb.
“Call my attorney. Not Daniel's firm. Someone independent.”
Caleb nodded.
Agent Collins stepped forward.
“Mr. Moretti, turn around.”
Luca held her gaze.
“I'm not resisting.”
He placed his hands behind his back.
The handcuffs clicked shut.
At the top of the staircase, Vanessa Sterling appeared.
She was still wearing her burgundy evening gown.
She stared at Luca.
“What have they done?”
Luca looked up.
“Ask your father.”
Vanessa gripped the railing.
“Luca, I didn't know.”
He said nothing.
As the agents led him toward the door, Clara hurried forward.
“Wait!”
Collins turned.
“Ma'am, stay back.”
Clara stopped several feet away.
She looked directly at Luca.
“Your father trusted me.”
Luca frowned.
“What?”
“He trusted my mother. And he trusted me.”
“Clara, this isn't the time.”
“Yes, it is.”
She looked at Agent Collins.
“There is evidence in this house that Mr. Moretti didn't know existed until tonight.”
Collins studied her.
“What kind of evidence?”
“Records showing someone forged his signature.”
Luca shook his head slightly.
He didn't want Clara exposing the music box before they had secured everything.
But she continued.
“And we have a witness who can explain it.”
Collins narrowed her eyes.
“Who?”
Clara looked toward the study.
“Victor Harlan.”
The agent went still.
“Victor Harlan is alive?”
Luca closed his eyes.
The secret was out.
Collins turned to another agent.
“Secure the house.”
Within minutes, federal agents were moving through the mansion.
Victor did not run.
He emerged from Antonio's study with his injured arm in a sling.
Agent Collins stared at him.
“Mr. Harlan?”
Victor nodded.
“I've been waiting a long time to talk to someone who wasn't working for Robert Sterling.”
Collins frowned.
“Are you suggesting federal investigators are compromised?”
“I'm suggesting you should verify who gave you the evidence before you use it to arrest an innocent man.”
Collins's expression hardened.
“We'll discuss that downtown.”
Victor nodded.
“I'd like that.”
He looked toward Luca.
“And I'd like my lawyer.”
Two hours later, Luca sat in a federal interview room in Manhattan.
His new attorney, Sarah Whitcomb, sat beside him.
She was a former federal prosecutor with a reputation for being impossible to intimidate.
Sarah studied the documents Collins had provided.
Then looked at Luca.
“These charges are built around transactions authorized with your electronic credentials.”
Luca frowned.
“From when?”
“Several transfers occurred over the last eighteen months.”
“That's impossible. I didn't authorize them.”
Sarah turned another page.
“The money moved through a company called Northbridge Holdings.”
Luca shook his head.
“I've never heard of it.”
Sarah looked at him.
“Daniel Mercer registered it using your personal information.”
“Then why am I being arrested instead of him?”
“Because Robert Sterling claims you instructed Daniel to create it.”
Luca leaned back.
“He's framing me.”
“Probably. But proving it is going to take more than saying so.”
She pointed to a bank record.
“One of these transfers was approved from an IP address associated with your mansion.”
Luca stared.
“Someone used my network.”
“Who had access?”
“Daniel. Robert. Vanessa. Half my senior staff.”
Sarah frowned.
“Then we start narrowing that list.”
Luca looked at her.
“Can you get me released?”
“I'm working on it.”
She hesitated.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“The government claims your father signed an agreement fifteen years ago authorizing the transfer of several trust properties.”
Luca went still.
“I've seen it.”
Sarah looked surprised.
“Where?”
“In a recording made by Margaret Hayes.”
Sarah leaned forward.
“Do you have that recording?”
“My security chief has a forensic copy.”
“Good. Don't send it over email. Have him preserve the original card and its chain of custody.”
Luca nodded.
Sarah continued.
“The government is presenting that agreement as evidence that the transfers began legitimately.”
“My father signed it under pressure.”
“Can you prove that?”
Luca thought of Victor.
Of Thomas.
Of the greenhouse.
Then he remembered something Antonio used to say.
Never sign a document without reading the last page.
His father had repeated it so often that Luca had begun rolling his eyes whenever he heard it.
“Sarah.”
“Yes?”
“Can you get the entire agreement?”
“That's the plan.”
“No. I mean every page. Including attachments.”
She studied him.
“Why?”
“Because my father never signed anything without leaving himself a way to challenge it.”
Sarah didn't smile.
But she wrote something down.
The next morning, Luca appeared before a federal magistrate.
The prosecution argued that he was a flight risk.
Sarah presented evidence that he had remained at his home, cooperated with agents, and voluntarily identified Victor Harlan.
After a tense hearing, the judge ordered Luca released on a substantial bond with travel restrictions and strict reporting conditions.
Outside the courthouse, reporters shouted questions.
“Mr. Moretti! Did you steal from your family's charity?”
“Is your engagement over?”
“Is Victor Harlan really alive?”
Luca kept walking.
Then he saw Robert Sterling standing beside a black sedan.
Robert smiled.
“Difficult morning?”
Luca stopped.
Sarah touched his arm.
“Keep walking.”
But Luca looked directly at Robert.
“You made a mistake.”
Robert raised an eyebrow.
“Did I?”
“You should have stayed away from my family.”
Robert's smile disappeared.
“Your father said something similar.”
Luca stepped closer.
Sarah moved between them.
“Mr. Moretti. Car. Now.”
Robert watched him.
Then spoke quietly enough that only Luca could hear.
“Antonio begged me to leave one person alone.”
Luca stopped.
“Who?”
Robert smiled again.
“Ask Victor.”
Luca's blood ran cold.
Robert stepped into his sedan.
As the car pulled away, Luca's phone vibrated.
A message from Caleb.
WE RECOVERED THE DAMAGED VIDEO. COME HOME.
Luca arrived at the mansion forty minutes later.
Clara was waiting in the study.
Her eyes were red.
Victor sat beside the fireplace.
Thomas stood near the window.
Caleb placed the laptop on Antonio's desk.
“We recovered another forty-three seconds.”
Luca sat down.
“Play it.”
Margaret Hayes appeared on the screen.
Her voice was trembling.
There is one person who can explain what Antonio really signed.
She glanced toward the door.
But Robert believes this person died fifteen years ago.
Margaret lifted a photograph.
It showed a young woman standing outside a hospital.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
A small scar beneath her chin.
Clara leaned forward.
“I've seen her.”
Luca turned.
“Where?”
Clara looked confused.
“I don't remember.”
On the screen, Margaret continued.
Her name was Elizabeth Ward. Evelyn's younger sister.
Victor made a sharp sound.
Luca looked at him.
“You know her?”
Victor nodded.
“She was there when Antonio signed the agreement.”
“Where is she?”
Victor looked devastated.
“I thought she was dead.”
The recording continued.
Elizabeth witnessed Robert threaten Samuel Hayes's child. She saw what Antonio was forced to sign.
Margaret looked directly into the camera.
If you can find Elizabeth, you can prove what really happened.
Then she held the photograph closer.
But be careful. She changed her name after the greenhouse attack.
The video ended.
Luca stared at the screen.
“Do we know her new name?”
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
Clara suddenly stood.
Her chair scraped against the floor.
Luca turned.
“What is it?”
She was staring at the photograph.
“I remember where I've seen her.”
“Where?”
Clara looked toward the doorway.
May you like
Her voice dropped.
“SHE WAS AT YOUR BIRTHDAY DINNER.”
