Chapter 11 - The Audit of the South Wing
The morning sunlight cut through the tall arched windows of the estate library, casting long, pale stripes across the walnut floorboards. I stood beside the mahogany desk, carefully organizing a stack of vendor invoices that Luca’s legal team had requested from the previous quarter. The air in the room felt different now—lighter, stripped of the heavy, suffocating tension that had clung to the furniture ever since Vanessa’s departure. Yet, the work of dismantling her financial labyrinth was only just beginning.
Luca walked in carrying two paper cups of black coffee, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms and the dark ink of his neck tattoos partially visible above the collar of his open-collared shirt. He set one cup down beside my blotter without a word, his expression thoughtful as he dragged a leather chair out from the corner and sat down across from the ledger books.
"The forensic accountants found three offshore accounts tied directly to Vanessa’s maiden name," Luca said, his voice low and level as he opened a thick binder of bank statements. "She was siphoning funds from the estate maintenance budget for over eighteen months. Every time Sal requested repairs for the north perimeter or the main garage, she marked them as completed and diverted the capital."
I paused, holding a receipt between my fingers. "She knew Sal was meticulous about maintenance. That’s probably why she wanted him out of the house so badly. If he stayed, he would have noticed the budget discrepancies on the vehicles alone."
"Exactly," Luca agreed, running a hand through his dark hair. He looked tired, the hard edges of his jawline softened by a quiet realization. "Sal trusted her because I trusted her. He spent forty years keeping this family together, and we almost let a stranger strip it down to the studs."
"He never lost faith in you, Luca," I said softly, meeting his gaze across the desk. "Even when he was standing in the dining room with that cardboard box, his biggest worry wasn't about himself. He was worried about what would happen to you."
Luca looked down at the coffee cup, tracing the rim with his thumb before looking back up. "I know. And I’m going to make sure this estate operates with absolute transparency from now on. No more closed doors, no more hidden ledgers." He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "Speaking of which, the legal team needs an administrative coordinator to oversee the internal audit of the household accounts. Someone who knows how this house actually runs, from top to bottom."
My breath hitched slightly. "You want me to take on the administrative oversight?"
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"I trust you more than anyone else in this building," Luca said simply. "If you're willing to take it on, we can step out of this library and start fresh."
I looked at the stack of invoices, then back at Luca, feeling a steady, grounded resolve take root in my chest. "I’d like that," I said.
