Chapter 1 - The Locked Drawer
Luca sat perfectly still in the great leather chair behind his father's desk.
The faint, innocent scent of baby powder still lingered in the quiet room.
He could not stop thinking about the little girl's terrified voice.
She had only asked that no one make her mother cry anymore.
He ran his hands absently under the thick rim of the mahogany desk.
His fingers suddenly snagged on a small, hidden metal latch that he had never felt before.
He frowned and pressed the mechanism upward with his thumb.
A secret, shallow drawer popped open silently against his knees.
Inside lay a single, yellowed envelope sealed with brittle red wax.
The handwriting on the front belonged to Elena's deceased mother.
Luca carefully broke the seal and unfolded the fragile paper.
The letter was addressed directly to his late father.
It detailed a horrific night thirteen years ago involving a fire and a stolen identity.
The words claimed that the woman known as Isabella Romano was an absolute fraud.
Luca felt all the breath rush out of his lungs at once.
He stood up quickly and walked out into the dimly lit corridor.
He heard hushed whispers coming from the shadows near the grand staircase.
Isabella was standing there with her back pressed against the wall.
A tall man was leaning in close, handing her a small package.
As the man turned away, the chandelier light caught a heavy silver signet ring on his finger.
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It was a unique ring depicting a roaring wolf.
Luca realized with a sickening jolt that the ring belonged to his best friend, Marco Bellini.
