Chapter 3: The Enemy Wearing a Familiar Face
Victoria did not sleep.
Not because she was afraid.
Fear required uncertainty.
And for the first time in eleven months, Victoria finally had certainty.
Someone had lied to her.
Someone had watched her mourn Daniel while knowing pieces of the truth.
Someone had stood beside her at the funeral, accepted her gratitude, offered her comfort, and quietly waited for her to disappear.
The question was no longer whether Daniel’s death had been connected to betrayal.
The question was how many people had been involved.
She sat alone in Daniel’s office until sunrise.
The black stone ring rested on the desk in front of her.
It looked ordinary.
A simple piece of dark stone surrounded by aged silver.
But Victoria knew better.
The Bellacorte family ring was not jewelry.
It was a symbol.
For generations, the ring had represented authority within the organization.
The person who wore it carried Daniel’s trust.
His father had worn it.
His grandfather had worn it.
Daniel had worn it.
And now someone had removed it from wherever it had been hidden and placed it outside her door.
A message.
Someone wanted her to know they had access.
Someone wanted her to know they were close.
Victoria picked up the ring and examined it carefully.
There was something different.
A small scratch across the inside edge.
She frowned.
Daniel’s ring had never been damaged.
He took care of everything he owned.
Especially things connected to his family.
She turned it over.
Then she noticed a tiny engraving.
Not the Bellacorte family symbol.
A series of numbers.
12-07-19.
A date.
Victoria stared at it.
December seventh, 2019.
Why would someone carve a date into Daniel’s ring?
She reached for her phone.
Then stopped.
Calling someone was exactly what Daniel warned her not to do.
Trust no one in this house.
Those words were becoming heavier by the hour.
A knock came at the door.
Victoria immediately covered the letter.
“Come in.””
Arthur Collins entered.
The estate manager looked exhausted.
He had probably spent the entire night wondering how much of the Bellacorte family’s secrets had finally surfaced.
“Mrs. Bellacorte.””
“Arthur.””
He closed the door behind him.
“I brought what you requested.””
He placed a folder on the desk.
Security records.
Photographs.
Property reports.
Everything connected to the mansion.
Victoria opened the folder.
“Thank you.””
Arthur hesitated.
“May I ask something?””
“Yes.””
“Are we in danger?””
Victoria looked up.
Arthur was not asking about money.
Not about the company.
Not about the family name.
He was asking because he had worked in this house long enough to understand something.
Houses remembered things.
People left behind evidence.
And sometimes the walls knew more than the people living inside them.
“I don’t know yet,” Victoria answered.
Arthur nodded slowly.
“That may be the most honest answer anyone has given in months.””
Victoria looked at him.
“What do you mean?””
Arthur looked toward the window.
“After Mr. Bellacorte passed away, everyone began acting like they already knew what happened.””
Victoria stayed silent.
“People came into this house,” Arthur continued.
“They searched rooms. They reviewed documents. They asked questions.””
“Who?””
Arthur looked uncomfortable.
“People from the company.””
“Marcus?””
Arthur didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Victoria opened the security reports.
“Show me.””
Arthur pointed to the dates.
The week after Daniel’s death.
Multiple entries.
Private access.
Late-night visits.
Restricted areas.
Victoria’s eyes narrowed.
“Why wasn’t I told?””
Arthur looked down.
“Because Mr. Vale said it was necessary.””
There it was again.
Marcus.
Always Marcus.
Victoria turned the pages.
Then she stopped.
One entry caught her attention.
Eleven days after Daniel’s funeral.
2:13 a.m.
Access granted.
Location:
Daniel’s private office.
Authorized by:
Victoria Bellacorte.
Victoria stared at the screen.
“That’s impossible.””
Arthur looked confused.
“What?””
“I was not here.””
The room became quiet.
“According to this, I entered Daniel’s office eleven days after his death.””
Arthur looked at the record.
Then at Victoria.
“Maybe the system was wrong?””
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
Daniel had designed the security system himself.
It required more than a key.
More than a password.
It required identity verification.
Only a handful of people had access.
Victoria.
Daniel.
Marcus.
And Helena.
Someone had used her identity.
Someone wanted it to look like she had searched her husband’s office.
But why?
A thought entered her mind.
A dangerous one.
Maybe someone wasn’t trying to hide Daniel’s secrets.
Maybe they were trying to create evidence against her.
Before she could speak, another sound came from the hallway.
A child crying.
Victoria immediately stood.
Noah.
She followed the sound downstairs.
She found him near the kitchen.
His mother, Emily Reed, was kneeling beside him.
“Mrs. Bellacorte,” Emily said quickly.
“I’m sorry. I told him to stay away from the main rooms.””
Victoria looked at Noah.
Then at Emily.
“You don’t need to apologize.””
Emily looked surprised.
Most people in the Bellacorte household did not apologize to servants.
They expected servants to apologize to them.
Victoria noticed the woman’s hands.
Small cuts.
Burn marks.
Years of working in kitchens.
“You’ve worked here a long time?””
Emily nodded.
“Eight years.””
“Did you know Daniel well?””
A strange expression crossed Emily’s face.
Not fear.
Sadness.
“Yes.””
Victoria studied her.
“How well?””
Emily glanced at Noah.
Then lowered her voice.
“Better than most people think.””
That answer immediately caught Victoria’s attention.
“What does that mean?””
Emily hesitated.
“Mr. Bellacorte was kind to people who had no power.””
Victoria almost smiled.
That sounded like Daniel.
“He helped my son,” Emily continued.
“When Noah was born, he had medical problems. The bills were too much. Mr. Bellacorte paid them.””
Victoria’s expression softened.
Daniel had never told her.
“Why didn’t you say anything?””
Emily looked confused.
“Because he told me not to.””
Victoria froze.
“He told you not to tell me?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Emily looked toward the hallway.
“To protect you.””
The words hit harder than expected.
Victoria stepped closer.
“Emily, I need you to tell me everything.””
Emily looked nervous.
“I don’t know if I should.””
“You should.””
A voice interrupted.
“Victoria.””
Marcus.
Standing at the kitchen entrance.
Of course.
Always appearing at the exact moment information became dangerous.
Emily immediately became silent.
Marcus looked between them.
“Is there a problem?””
Victoria faced him.
“No.””
“Good.””
His eyes moved to Noah.
“Because I would hate for rumors to spread.””
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“Rumors?””
“Yes. About employees becoming too comfortable.””
There it was.
The same arrogance.
The same belief that people had places.
Victoria stepped between Marcus and Noah.
“Be careful.””
Marcus looked surprised.
“Excuse me?””
“You spent eleven months convincing everyone I was too emotional to lead.””
Victoria’s voice was calm.
“But you made one mistake.””
Marcus said nothing.
“You assumed kindness meant weakness.””
For the first time, Marcus looked genuinely uncertain.
Victoria turned to Emily.
“Come to my office tonight.””
Emily looked shocked.
“Mrs. Bellacorte—”
“Tonight.””
She looked at Noah.
“Bring him too.””
Marcus immediately reacted.
“That is unnecessary.””
Victoria turned.
“Why?””
Again.
That question.
The one Marcus hated.
“Why is it unnecessary?””
He had no answer.
Victoria walked away.
She was beginning to understand Daniel’s strategy.
Never accuse someone too early.
Let them reveal themselves.
By afternoon, Victoria had uncovered three important facts.
Someone had entered Daniel’s office after his death.
Someone had used her identity.
And Emily Reed knew something Daniel wanted hidden.
But there was something else.
Something bothering her.
The date on the ring.
December seventh, 2019.
She searched Daniel’s personal calendar.
Nothing.
She searched company records.
Nothing.
Then she found an old photograph.
A family dinner.
Six years earlier.
Daniel.
Victoria.
Marcus.
Helena.
And one other person.
A woman standing slightly behind them.
Someone Victoria had forgotten.
Someone Daniel had never introduced.
Victoria zoomed in.
The woman was holding something.
A black stone ring.
Her heart stopped.
Because the ring was not on Daniel’s hand.
It was on hers.
Victoria looked at the photograph details.
The date.
December seventh, 2019.
The same date engraved inside the ring.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
Victoria answered.
No one spoke.
Only silence.
Then a whisper.
“You found the ring.””
Victoria stood completely still.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then the voice replied.
“The person who tried to save Daniel.””
Victoria’s grip tightened.
“Where are you?””
Another pause.
“The same place where your husband discovered the truth.””
The call ended.
Victoria stared at the phone.
Then slowly looked around the office.
Because there was only one place in the mansion that matched those words.
A place Daniel had sealed years ago.
A place nobody was supposed to enter.
The old underground archive.
Victoria grabbed the keys.
And for the first time since Daniel’s death…
May you like
she walked toward the one place in the Bellacorte mansion everyone feared.
The place where secrets went to disappear.
