Z

Her name was Emilia Bellini.

Dominic had seen her face exactly once.

A black-and-white photograph in his mother’s childhood album.

A stern woman standing beside a fountain in Florence.

For years, Dominic believed she died of pneumonia in 1978.

She actually died in 2005.

When Dominic was twelve.

“Where was she?” he asked.

Sofia looked ashamed.

“Switzerland.”

“For thirty years?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Exile.”

“By who?”

“My father.”

The family history was becoming absurd even by Vascari standards.

Sofia continued.

“Emilia believed Bellini wealth should pass through women.”

Mara frowned.

“That would have given you control.”

“Yes.”

“And Isabella?”

“Part of it.”

Dominic looked at Celeste.

“What does this have to do with the infant switch?”

Sofia answered.

“Emilia hated Antonio.”

“My father.”

“She believed marrying me to a Vascari surrendered Bellini assets to men.”

Dominic rubbed his jaw.

“So she tried to kill her own grandson?”

“No.”

Sofia shook her head.

“That is what I never understood.”

Celeste spoke.

“She didn’t order Matteo killed.”

Everyone turned.

“She ordered him removed.”

Dominic stared.

“What?”

“My mother’s journal said Emilia wanted Matteo hidden until he was old enough to inherit independently.”

Mara understood.

“She planned to steal him from his parents.”

Celeste nodded.

“And replace him with Luca.”

“Who was Luca?”

“Another Bellini baby.”

“Whose?”

Celeste hesitated.

“Emilia’s grandson through another daughter.”

Sofia looked horrified.

“My sister?”

“No.”

“Then who?”

“Her illegitimate daughter.”

Sofia closed her eyes.

“Valentina.”

Dominic stared.

“Valentina Serra.”

Celeste nodded.

“That’s why Valentina’s family believes the trust was stolen.”

Mara whispered.

“Luca was Valentina’s brother.”

“Yes.”

Dominic sat down.

The family tree had ceased being a tree.

It was a crime scene.

“So Emilia moved Matteo.”

“Yes.”

“And put Luca in his crib.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To force Antonio to believe his son was dead and sever his claim.”

“But Luca actually died.”

Celeste nodded.

“Marchesi’s man entered the nursery before the switch could be reversed.”

Sofia covered her mouth.

“Oh God.”

Dominic understood the horror.

Emilia had planned a kidnapping.

Marchesi had planned a murder.

Their schemes collided.

The wrong baby died.

“What happened to Matteo?”

“My mother helped Emilia move him.”

“To Isabella?”

“Eventually.”

Sofia began crying.

“My mother stole my child.”

Nobody contradicted her.

Celeste continued.

“Emilia believed she was saving Bellini control.”

“She destroyed three generations.”

Dominic stood.

“Where are the journals?”

“I told you. Adrian.”

“Where is Adrian?”

“I don’t know.”

Luca DeLuca entered.

“We might.”

He set a tablet on the table.

Security footage showed a black SUV leaving a warehouse in Queens.

“Plate belongs to Cross Meridian Holdings.”

Celeste stared.

“That’s Adrian.”

“Where did it go?”

“North.”

“How far?”

“Last camera caught it near Poughkeepsie.”

Sofia looked up.

“No.”

Dominic turned.

“What?”

“There’s a house.”

“What house?”

“Emilia’s.”

“Your grandmother had a house in New York?”

“An estate outside Rhinebeck.”

Dominic stared.

“You never mentioned this.”

“I thought it was sold.”

“Address.”

Two hours later, Dominic, Mara, Celeste, Luca and federal agents stood outside a decaying stone mansion overlooking the Hudson.

Elias remained under guard with Sofia and Matteo.

Dominic hated leaving them.

Mara refused to remain behind.

“Do not argue.”

“I was not going to.”

“You were.”

“I was thinking.”

“Your thinking has eyebrows.”

Even Klein smiled.

Agents entered first.

The house looked abandoned.

Dust covered furniture.

Paint peeled from walls.

But the basement lights were on.

Dominic descended.

He found Adrian Cross sitting alone at a long table.

No weapon visible.

No panic.

A glass of wine beside one hand.

Three leather journals stacked before him.

“Dominic.”

Adrian looked remarkably like Celeste around the eyes.

Celeste stopped behind Dominic.

“Adrian.”

He smiled.

“Little sister.”

“Where’s Nathan?”

“Safe.”

“You promised.”

“I promised many things.”

Klein entered with agents.

“Hands visible.”

Adrian raised them.

“No drama.”

Dominic looked at the journals.

“You could have mailed those.”

“But then you would never have come.”

“Why did you want me here?”

Adrian looked around.

“This house belongs to your son.”

Dominic frowned.

“Not yet.”

“Legally, perhaps never.”

Mara stepped forward.

“Why attack us?”

Adrian looked offended.

“I didn’t.”

“Someone fired into our house.”

“I know.”

“Who?”

Adrian looked at Celeste.

She shook her head.

“Don’t.”

Dominic’s eyes narrowed.

“Who?”

Adrian sighed.

“Valentina.”

Mara stared.

“She denied it.”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because she wants Elias to inherit alone.”

“That contradicts everything she told us.”

“That is usually what liars do.”

Celeste looked sick.

Dominic stared at Adrian.

“Prove it.”

Adrian nodded toward the journals.

“Emilia wrote letters in the back pages.”

Dominic opened the top journal.

Pages of neat handwriting.

Dates.

Names.

Payments.

Then a recent envelope tucked between the final pages.

Not old.

New.

Addressed to Valentina Serra.

Dominic opened it.

Inside was a photocopy of a bank transfer.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

Paid to a private security contractor three days before the shooting at Dominic’s house.

Mara whispered.

“Could be fabricated.”

Adrian smiled.

“Good. You’ve learned.”

Klein took the document.

“We verify everything.”

“Please do.”

Dominic stared at Adrian.

“If you didn’t shoot at us, why kidnap Celeste?”

Adrian looked toward his sister.

“I didn’t kidnap her.”

Dominic turned.

Celeste’s face changed.

“Celeste?”

She began shaking.

Adrian leaned back.

“She came willingly.”

Mara stared.

“Why?”

Celeste looked at Dominic.

“To steal the journals.”

Silence.

Dominic laughed softly.

“Of course.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“From?”

“Adrian.”

Adrian smiled.

“Ironic.”

Celeste’s voice rose.

“He was going to use Matteo!”

“How?”

“He needed your son’s DNA.”

Adrian’s smile disappeared.

Dominic saw it.

Truth.

Mara stepped forward.

“For what?”

Adrian remained silent.

Celeste whispered.

“He already has Elias’s.”

Dominic’s chest tightened.

“How?”

“Isabella sent samples before she disappeared.”

“Why?”

“She was working with him.”

Elias’s grandmother.

Adrian.

Valentina.

Everyone betraying everyone.

Mara stared at Adrian.

“What are you testing?”

He looked at her.

Finally, he answered.

“Whether one of the boys is actually Bellini.”

Dominic frowned.

“They both are.”

Adrian shook his head.

“No.”

He looked at Dominic.

“The bloodline you’ve spent years protecting may not be yours at all.”

Dominic felt the room go silent.

Adrian continued.

“Antonio Vascari was not your biological father.”