Chapter 4 - GENEVIEVE CAME BACK EARLY
Genevieve lasted twelve days in Vermont.
Then she returned without permission.
She entered the mansion at midnight.
Dominic was waiting.
So was Rebecca.
Genevieve stopped when she saw the old ledger.
Her face changed.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
That was enough.
Dominic said:
“You knew.”
Genevieve recovered quickly.
“Knew what?”
Rebecca placed Samuel’s deed on the table.
Genevieve went pale.
Then laughed.
“That.”
One word.
Rebecca’s stomach turned.
“You hired me because of this.”
Genevieve stared at her.
“I hired you because you needed work.”
“No.”
Rebecca’s voice remained calm.
“You wanted to know whether I had Dad’s papers.”
Genevieve looked toward Dominic.
“You believe her?”
Dominic said:
“I believe documents.”
That hurt more.
Genevieve’s mask cracked.
“That property should never have gone to Samuel.”
Rebecca asked:
“Why?”
“He was an employee.”
There it was.
Class.
Status.
Entitlement.
“He saved Antonio.”
“He manipulated him.”
Dominic slammed his hand onto the desk.
“No.”
Genevieve flinched.
“My father left recordings.”
Silence.
That was partly a bluff.
There were written notes, not full recordings of everything.
But Genevieve did not know that.
Her eyes widened.
Dominic saw it.
“Interesting.”
Genevieve realized too late.
Then she whispered:
“My grandfather lost everything because Samuel opened his mouth.”
Rebecca stared.
“Your grandfather stole.”
“He moved family money.”
“Without permission.”
Genevieve laughed bitterly.
“You think powerful families survive by asking permission?”
Rebecca looked at Dominic.
He did not defend that sentence.
Good.
Genevieve continued:
“Samuel became rich because he betrayed blood.”
Rebecca’s voice turned quiet.
“Then why didn’t my father live rich?”
That silenced her.
Samuel had never touched most of the wealth.
He lived modestly.
Died modestly.
Apparently he intended Rebecca to receive it only when the Falcone family proved it could honor the agreement.
Genevieve had spent years hating a man who never even used the thing she believed he stole.
Then Rebecca asked:
“Why the pool?”
Genevieve’s face tightened.
That was the question.
Not the money.
Why humiliate her publicly?
Finally:
“Because you were wearing her necklace.”
Rebecca froze.
“What necklace?”
Genevieve pointed.
Rebecca touched the small gold chain beneath her collar.
Her father’s.
The charm was tiny.
A falcon.
“I found it in Dad’s things.”
Genevieve whispered:
“Antonio gave that to Samuel.”
Dominic stared.
Genevieve continued:
“My grandfather begged for one when he was young.”
Antonio refused.
“Then he gave it to a bodyguard.”
Her eyes filled with thirty years of inherited resentment.
“I saw you wearing it while serving champagne in my house.”
Rebecca finally understood.
The shove had not been random.
Genevieve looked at Rebecca and saw every old family grievance.
Then chose a woman with less visible power and punished her.
Rebecca said:
“You weren’t angry at me.”
Genevieve’s eyes hardened.
“I was angry at what your father took.”
“No.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“You were angry that somebody you thought was beneath your family had been treated as an equal.”
That landed.
Genevieve said nothing.
Dominic looked toward the door.
“You’re leaving.”
“Dominic—”
“Not Vermont.”
She froze.
“This marriage is over.”
For the first time, Genevieve looked genuinely frightened.
Not of losing money.
Of losing position.
Her whole identity had been built around standing above someone else.
May you like
Now there was nobody beneath her to hold it up.
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