Chapter 7
Carlo glanced around the room.
Nobody moved.
Then he made his mistake.
“You’re doing all this because that woman walked out on you?”
Dante’s expression did not change.
But Marco noticed.
Katarina noticed.
Carlo realized too late.
Dante asked quietly, “What woman?”
Carlo froze.
Dante moved closer.
“I didn’t mention Isabella.”
Carlo swallowed.
“Obviously this is about her.”
“No.”
Dante’s voice dropped.
“I said nothing about her.”
Silence.
Carlo looked toward the doors.
Marco blocked them.
Then Dante’s phone vibrated.
A security supervisor spoke through the line.
Dante listened.
His eyes stayed on Carlo.
“Send it.”
A video arrived.
Exterior service corridor.
8:48 p.m.
Carlo speaking with a temporary catering employee.
8:51.
The employee entering the salon.
8:53.
The same employee leaving.
Marco found the man’s employment information.
By 12:14 a.m., they had him on the phone.
By 12:22, he confessed.
Carlo had paid him ten thousand dollars to take the necklace from the case and put it in Isabella’s handbag.
Sophia sat down heavily.
Katarina looked sick.
Carlo said nothing.
Dante stared at his cousin.
“You framed the woman I was going to marry.”
Carlo finally exploded.
“She was going to destroy everything!”
“No.”
Dante stepped closer.
“You destroyed everything.”
Carlo pointed at him.
“You think she belongs here? She walks into our businesses asking questions. She reviews accounts nobody asked her to review. She acts like—”
“Like someone noticed you were stealing?”
Carlo stopped.
Dante’s voice became quiet again.
“That necklace belonged to my grandmother.”
Carlo looked away.
“You used something sacred to this family to frame an innocent woman.”
Sophia whispered, “Carlo, how could you?”
Carlo laughed bitterly.
“Don’t pretend you weren’t ready to convict her.”
Sophia went pale.
Because he was right.
Dante looked around the room.
At every person who had stared at Isabella.
At every relative who had remained silent.
Then he looked at the empty place where she had stood.
And finally understood.
Carlo had planted the necklace.
But the family had done the rest for him.
Including Dante.
Isabella did not answer the door the first time Dante knocked.
Or the second.
At 7:10 the next morning, she opened it.
He looked terrible.
Same suit.
No tie.
No sleep.
She looked at his hands.
No flowers.
No gifts.
Good.
“I found Carlo.”
“I know.”
“Marco told you?”
“Yes.”
“He confessed.”
“The caterer confessed.”
Dante nodded.
“He’ll face consequences.”
“I assumed.”
Silence.
Dante looked at her.