Chapter 12 - The Person Luca TrustedLuca trusted very few people.
Emma had already learned that.
Daniel was one.
Detective Hayes had earned limited trust.
Vincent had complicated trust.
Adrian had lost it.
But there was one person Luca had never questioned.
His attorney.
Michael Grant.
Michael had served the Moretti family for nearly twenty years.
He was the man who called Luca the morning Grace was born.
He was also the man who held Marco's letter.
Emma sat at Vincent's dining table while Luca stared at his phone.
"Who knew Marco left me that envelope?"
"Michael."
"Anyone else?"
"No."
"Who knew about the instructions involving St. Catherine's?"
"Michael."
Emma looked at Detective Hayes.
Hayes understood immediately.
"Bring him in."
Luca frowned.
"Michael isn't involved."
Emma looked at him.
"That's exactly what Adrian's message said."
"You're trusting the wrong person."
Luca shook his head.
"Michael practically raised us."
Vincent appeared from the doorway.
"She's right."
Luca turned.
"You think Michael betrayed us?"
"I think we stopped asking difficult questions because he became family."
Hayes called her team.
Michael Grant agreed to come voluntarily.
He arrived forty minutes later.
Sixty years old.
Gray suit.
Silver glasses.
Calm voice.
He looked exactly like the kind of man people trusted with wills, companies, and family secrets.
He smiled gently at Emma.
"I'm glad you and the baby are safe."
Emma did not return the smile.
Hayes began asking questions.
Michael answered everything.
Yes, he knew Marco had prepared an envelope.
Yes, he knew Emma's name.
Yes, he knew St. Catherine's.
No, he did not know her room number.
No, he did not alter hospital records.
No, he did not communicate with Connor.
Hayes placed Connor's phone records on the table.
"Then explain this number."
Michael looked down.
His expression did not change.
"What number?"
"Yours."
Luca stood.
Emma watched Michael.
Michael removed his glasses.
"Connor called me."
"When?"
"Several times."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because he was threatening the company."
Luca stepped closer.
"What did he want?"
"Money."
"How much?"
"Five million."
Vincent stared at him.
"For what?"
"Silence."
Hayes leaned forward.
"Silence about what?"
Michael looked toward Vincent.
"Adrian."
Luca laughed once without humor.
"Everyone keeps pointing at Adrian."
Michael's eyes returned to him.
"Because Adrian was moving the money."
"Did Adrian cause Marco's crash?"
Michael became quiet.
"Answer."
"I don't know."
Luca's hand hit the table.
Grace startled in Emma's arms.
Luca immediately stopped.
He looked ashamed.
"I'm sorry."
Emma rocked Grace gently.
Hayes continued.
"Michael, why was Connor calling you before Marco died?"
Michael stared at the table.
"Because I was negotiating with him."
"On whose behalf?"
Silence.
"Michael."
Luca's voice was quieter now.
"On whose behalf?"
Michael slowly looked up.
"Your father's."
Vincent stood.
"That's a lie."
Michael turned toward him.
"You told me to keep Connor quiet."
"I told you to find out what he knew."
"You told me the company couldn't survive another scandal."
Vincent's face hardened.
"So you paid him?"
Michael looked down.
"Yes."
"With whose money?"
"Mine."
Luca stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because I thought I could control him."
Emma almost whispered.
"You couldn't."
Michael looked at her.
"No."
Hayes pulled out another document.
"We traced the hospital record access."
Everyone became silent.
"It came from an employee account."
"The employee says she didn't make the changes."
"Her password was used remotely."
Michael's expression shifted.
Hayes noticed.
"Do you know something?"
"No."
"Then why did you react?"
Michael put his glasses back on.
"I didn't."
Emma suddenly remembered the envelope.
"How did you know I gave birth today?"
Michael looked at her.
"The hospital contacted me."
"No."
Emma shook her head.
"Luca said my doctor contacted him."
Luca slowly turned toward Michael.
Michael said nothing.
Emma continued.
"Which was it?"
The room became silent.
Luca's eyes narrowed.
"You called me."
Michael stood.
"Yes."
"How did you know Emma was there?"
Michael reached into his jacket.
Hayes immediately ordered him to stop.
He froze.
"Phone."
He slowly placed it on the table.
Hayes picked it up.
A new message appeared on the screen.
From an unknown number.
Only one sentence.
You should have kept your mouth shut, Michael.
Michael's face went pale.
Luca stepped closer.
"Who sent that?"
Michael looked at him.
May you like
"I don't know."
Then every light in Vincent's house went out.
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