Chapter 3 - The Debt That Was Never HersBrody Wells arrived at the estate at eleven twenty that night.
He did not come through the front gate.
That was the first thing that made Nora afraid.
The storm had shut down most roads, yet somehow he appeared inside the servants’ corridor wearing snow-covered boots and a leather jacket.
Nora found him waiting outside her room.
For one stunned second, she could not move.
“Brody?”
He smiled.
“Hey, Nor.”
She hated that nickname now.
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought we should talk.”
“At midnight?”
“We’re having a baby.”
“You disappeared.”
“I made mistakes.”
“You left me with debt collectors.”
Brody sighed.
“Can we not do this in the hallway?”
Nora stared at him.
“You don’t get to decide where we have conversations anymore.”
His smile disappeared.
“Fine.”
He lowered his voice.
“I need you to do something.”
Of course.
Nora almost laughed.
“What?”
“Quit.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“This job. Leave tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“It isn’t safe here.”
Nora’s hand moved protectively over her stomach.
“How would you know?”
Brody looked away.
That was when Nora understood.
“You’ve been here before.”
“No.”
“You know Mrs. Gable.”
His silence answered.
Nora took a step back.
“Brody.”
“Keep your voice down.”
“How do you know her?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Try me.”
Brody dragged a hand through his hair.
“Mrs. Gable helped me with some money.”
“What money?”
“Loans.”
Nora felt sick.
“You told me those gambling debts came from Atlantic City.”
“They did.”
“All of them?”
“No.”
The answer was barely audible.
Nora stared.
“How much?”
Brody did not respond.
“How much?”
“About two hundred grand.”
Her knees almost gave way.
“You borrowed two hundred thousand dollars?”
“It wasn’t exactly borrowing.”
“What does that mean?”
Brody glanced toward the hall again.
“Mrs. Gable had access to accounts.”
Nora stepped away as if he had become poisonous.
“You stole from this family.”
“She moved money. I used it.”
“And you put debts in my name.”
“I needed time.”
“You ruined my credit.”
“I was going to fix it.”
“You disappeared!”
Brody reached for her arm.
Nora jerked away.
“Don’t touch me.”
The words echoed.
A door opened somewhere nearby.
Brody lowered his voice.
“Listen to me. Lorenzo is asking questions. Mrs. Gable thinks the old man may have seen things.”
Nora’s heart began pounding.
“Giovanni.”
“What?”
“His name is Giovanni.”
Brody rolled his eyes.
“Whatever.”
That single gesture told Nora everything she needed to know about him.
Brody continued.
“If Lorenzo investigates those accounts, people get hurt.”
“Then tell the truth.”
“You think this is some normal rich family?”
He laughed nervously.
“These people don’t call the police when someone steals from them.”
Nora said nothing.
Brody leaned closer.
“You leave with me tonight, and this ends.”
“What about Giovanni?”
“Why do you care about that old vegetable?”
Nora slapped him.
The sound cracked through the corridor.
Brody stared at her.
Nora’s hand trembled.
“Don’t ever call him that.”
His expression changed.
The charming mask fell away.
“You always had this stupid weakness for broken things.”
“And apparently I dated one.”
Brody grabbed her wrist.
Hard.
Nora gasped.
“Let go.”
“You’re coming with me.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand what’s happening.”
A voice came from behind them.
“I think she understands perfectly.”
Brody froze.
Lorenzo stood ten feet away.
He was not alone.
Marco and two security men stood behind him.
Brody released Nora instantly.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Lorenzo looked at Nora’s wrist.
Then Brody.
“Take your hand off her.”
“I already did.”
Lorenzo took one step forward.
“Do not make me repeat myself about anything tonight.”
Brody swallowed.
Nora had expected Lorenzo to explode.
Instead, he walked to her first.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that when you aren’t.”
Nora looked at him.
Something in his expression was different.
Protective.
Not possessive.
Not theatrical.
Simply focused.
Brody noticed.
His face tightened.
“She’s my fiancée.”
Nora spun.
“Former.”
Brody ignored her.
“She’s carrying my child.”
“That doesn’t make her your property,” Lorenzo said.
Nora stared at him.
Brody laughed bitterly.
“You think she told you everything?”
“Brody, stop.”
“She came here because of my debts.”
“I know.”
Brody faltered.
Lorenzo continued.
“I also know approximately two hundred and seventeen thousand dollars from my household accounts went through Wells Gaming Holdings.”
Brody’s face drained of color.
Nora looked between them.
“You knew?”
“I learned tonight.”
Brody backed away.
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
“It rarely is.”
Mrs. Gable suddenly appeared from the stairwell.
“Mr. Moretti!”
Everyone turned.
She wore a robe over her nightclothes, but her makeup was perfect.
Nora wondered how long she had been waiting nearby.
Mrs. Gable pointed at Brody.
“I told him not to come.”
Brody stared at her.
“What?”
She continued without hesitation.
“He has been blackmailing me.”
Brody laughed.
“You lying snake.”
“I made terrible mistakes because he threatened my family.”
“You don’t have a family.”
Mrs. Gable’s face tightened.
Lorenzo watched them both.
“Marco.”
“Yes?”
“Lock the estate.”
Nora’s heart skipped.
“No one leaves.”
Marco nodded.
Brody stepped forward.
“You can’t hold us here.”
Lorenzo looked toward the windows.
Snow slammed against the glass.
“According to the county, the roads are closed.”
Brody’s mouth shut.
Lorenzo turned to Mrs. Gable.
“You told me my father was treated like royalty.”
“He was.”
Nora made an incredulous sound.
Mrs. Gable pointed at her.
“She is manipulating you.”
Nora stiffened.
“She has been stealing food.”
“For Giovanni.”
“And entering rooms she was not assigned to.”
“Because your staff left him sitting in dirty clothes.”
“She is trying to make herself important.”
Lorenzo did not respond.
Mrs. Gable saw an opening.
“She knew who your father was.”
Nora blinked.
“What?”
“She researched this family before applying.”
“That’s a lie.”
Mrs. Gable smiled coldly.
“Is it?”
She pulled several papers from her robe pocket.
Nora recognized the application she had filled out.
Mrs. Gable placed another page on the console table.
It was a printed search history.
Lorenzo picked it up.
Nora stared.
The page showed searches for Giovanni Moretti, Moretti crime family, Lorenzo Moretti net worth, and Moretti estate heir.
“I never searched those.”
Brody looked away.
Nora saw it.
Her stomach dropped.
“You.”
Brody remained silent.
“You used my laptop.”
“Nora…”
“You planted this.”
Mrs. Gable crossed her arms.
“How convenient.”
Lorenzo looked at Nora.
For the first time since meeting him, she saw doubt.
It hurt more than she expected.
“You believe them?”
“I believe evidence.”
“Fake evidence.”
Mrs. Gable smiled.
Nora stepped toward Lorenzo.
“I didn’t know who Giovanni was. I didn’t care.”
Brody laughed.
“Come on, Nora.”
“Shut up.”
“You always wanted stability. Then suddenly you get a job living inside a billionaire’s mansion?”
Nora turned on him.
“You got me the interview.”
The room went silent.
Brody’s eyes widened.
Nora suddenly remembered.
An anonymous recruiter had contacted her two days after Brody disappeared.
They had said someone recommended her.
She stared at Mrs. Gable.
“You brought me here.”
Mrs. Gable said nothing.
“Why?”
Giovanni’s bell rang upstairs.
Everyone froze.
It rang again.
Lorenzo turned immediately.
“My father.”
They hurried to Room 4B.
Giovanni was sitting upright.
His breathing was rapid.
His hand pointed toward the desk.
Lorenzo opened the drawer.
The leather notebook was gone.
Mrs. Gable gasped theatrically.
“Nora had it earlier.”
Nora stared at her.
“You took it.”
Mrs. Gable stepped back.
Lorenzo’s expression darkened.
“Search everyone.”
Marco moved.
Giovanni struck the wheelchair arm repeatedly.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Not their usual code.
Nora approached him.
“Giovanni?”
His eyes fixed on the wall behind Lorenzo.
Nora followed his gaze.
A framed painting hung above the fireplace.
She lifted it.
Behind it was a small metal safe.
Lorenzo stared.
“I didn’t know that was there.”
Giovanni tapped once.
Lorenzo entered an old family date on the keypad.
The safe clicked open.
Inside were documents, flash drives, and a small digital recorder.
Marco picked up the recorder.
“When was this made?”
Giovanni looked at Nora.
She pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then Mrs. Gable’s voice came through the speaker.
“When Giovanni finally dies, Lorenzo will never know what disappeared.”
Brody’s voice followed.
“And the pregnant girl?”
Mrs. Gable laughed.
“If anything goes wrong, we blame her.”
No one moved.
On the recording, Brody asked another question.
“What if she discovers what we’re doing?”
Mrs. Gable answered calmly.
“Then she loses more than her job.”
Nora felt Lily kick beneath her ribs.
May you like
Lorenzo slowly turned toward Mrs. Gable.
For the first time that evening, the head housekeeper looked genuinely afraid.
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