Chapter 3 - The Secret Allegiance
Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. He led me and Mia through a set of French doors into a quiet glass conservatory filled with exotic orchids and tropical ferns. The afternoon light filtered through the frosted glass panels, casting delicate shadows across the stone floor.
Once the doors clicked shut behind us, Adrian turned to face me. “What is this about, Miss Ward?”
I took a deep breath, crouching down beside Mia so I was at eye level with her. “Mia, honey, I need you to tell Mr. Moretti exactly what you saw yesterday before the lady fell down.”
Mia pulled her stuffed dog tight against her chest, looking up at the tall man in the expensive suit. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but in the quiet of the conservatory, her words rang clear as a bell.
“We were standing near the pretzel cart,” Mia said quietly. “The grandma was sitting at a little table drinking tea out of a paper cup. The lady with the dark hair stood behind her. She dropped a white tablet into the cup when the grandma wasn't looking.”
Adrian went entirely still. The color drained from his face so fast it was as if he had been struck. “What did you say?”
“Mia saw your wife, Victoria, put something in your mother’s tea near Bryant Park,” I stated firmly, standing up to meet his eyes. “And just now, in your study, Mia identified Victoria’s picture on your desk.”
Adrian stared at my daughter, his hands trembling slightly as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a clean handkerchief to wipe his brow. For a moment, I thought he was going to accuse my five-year-old of making up stories. I prepared myself to fight, to defend my daughter's honesty.
Instead, Adrian dropped to one knee in front of Mia.
“Did she use a paper napkin to hold the white tablet?” Adrian asked softly, his voice thick with an emotion I couldn't immediately identify.
Mia nodded eagerly. “Yes. A white napkin with blue letters on it.”
Adrian closed his eyes and let out a long, heavy breath. When he opened them again, there was no disbelief in his expression—only a profound, devastating sadness.
“You’re not surprised,” I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. “You already knew.”
Adrian stood up slowly, looking through the glass doors toward the main house where his wife and mother were sitting.
“I didn't know,” Adrian admitted in a hushed tone. “I suspected. My mother’s health has been declining rapidly over the last four months. Sudden fainting spells, memory loss, organ stress. The doctors couldn't find a cause. Last week, I began running my own private investigation. I hired private security to watch her, but Victoria always managed to bypass them.”
“Why would she do this to your mother?” I asked, horrified.
“Because my father’s estate is controlled entirely by a family trust,” Adrian explained grimly. “If my mother dies before the end of this month, the voting control of Moretti Enterprises passes directly to Victoria’s family holding company due to an old clause in the marriage contract. But if my mother lives past her eightieth birthday next week, the estate is permanently secured in a charitable foundation that Victoria cannot touch.”
He looked at me, his eyes filled with desperate urgency. “Miss Ward, your daughter didn't just help my mother on the sidewalk. She is the only eyewitness to an attempted murder inside one of the most powerful families in New York.”
A cold bolt of fear shot through my chest. I grabbed Mia’s hand, pulling her close. “We shouldn't be here. We need to go to the police right now.”
“If you go to the local precinct right now, Victoria’s lawyers will crush your daughter’s testimony before you even finish filing the report,” Adrian warned grimly. “Victoria’s father is a retired appellate judge. They control half the district attorney’s office. You need protection, and I need hard proof before we make a move.”
Before I could reply, the conservatory door swung open.
May you like
Victoria stood in the frame, flanked by two large men in dark security uniforms. She was holding a tray with three fresh glasses of orange juice.
“Is everything alright in here?” Victoria asked smoothly, her eyes darting between Adrian, me, and Mia. “You’ve been in here a very long time, darling.”
