Chapter 2
Celina denied planning to send Ellie anywhere.
She sat in the library with her attorney on speakerphone and insisted the boxes were part of a bedroom renovation.
Luciano placed the work order on the table.
“Transfer.”
Celina looked at it.
“That was poor wording.”
“Destination to be confirmed.”
“I hadn’t decided where the furniture would be stored.”
“The furniture wasn’t packed.”
She went quiet.
Luciano remained standing.
“Why did you tell my daughter she was going to an orphanage?”
“I was angry.”
“At a three-year-old?”
“She had been acting out all afternoon.”
“What did she do?”
Celina looked toward Marianne.
“Ask her.”
Luciano did not.
He looked at Celina.
“I asked you.”
“She refused to listen. She threw things. She screamed.”
Marianne interrupted.
“No.”
Celina’s eyes sharpened.
Marianne continued.
“She came home from preschool excited about her family project. She asked where Luciano was. That was all.”
Celina stood.
“You weren’t with her every second.”
“Neither were you.”
Luciano raised one hand.
Both women stopped.
He looked at Celina.
“Why did you destroy the project?”
Celina hesitated.
“It was an accident.”
Luciano stared at her.
“You put your heel through it.”
“She dropped it under me.”
Marianne gave a disgusted laugh.
Luciano did not.
“Leave the estate.”
Celina’s face changed.
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What about my things?”
“The boxes downstairs are already convenient.”
“That is humiliating.”
Luciano looked at her.
“So is telling a child her father is sending her away.”
Celina’s voice softened.
“Luciano, please. We are four days from the wedding.”
“We were.”
“You’re ending five years over one terrible argument?”
They had known each other for five years.
Dated for two.
Engaged for eleven months.
Luciano had trusted her enough to let her spend increasing amounts of time alone at the estate.
Trusted her enough to believe Ellie liked her.
Now he wondered what had happened when he was not present.
He asked one final question.
“Has Ellie ever been told before tonight that she was going away?”
Celina answered too quickly.
“No.”
Luciano watched her.
Then he called for Maria, Ellie’s nanny-housekeeper.
Maria had worked for the family since before Ellie was born.
When Luciano asked the same question, her face became uncertain.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“Ellie started asking me about boarding school about three weeks ago.”
Luciano turned slowly toward Celina.
May you like
Celina went white.
Second detail.
