Chương 9
“Don’t be polite.”
Celia met her eyes.
“The car was moved before sunrise.”
Arthur sat back.
“Who moved it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You worked for him.”
“Not then.”
Maribel said, “A tow operator.”
Celia turned.
“You knew that?”
Maribel nodded.
“Your father told me.”
“When?”
“Years later.”
Leandro looked at her.
“Why would he tell you?”
Maribel’s mouth tightened.
“Because by then I already knew too much.”
Estelle stared at the letter again.
The pages rustled softly in her hands.
She read another section.
“He says Peter Boone threatened to go public.”
Celia nodded.
“He did.”
“And then?”
“My sister intervened.”
“Alina’s mother.”
“Yes.”
Estelle’s eyes moved across the page.
“Her name was Elise.”
Celia looked surprised.
“He wrote that?”
“Yes.”
Celia’s expression softened despite herself.
“Elise Boone.”
Leandro leaned against the desk.
“What did Elise want?”
Celia’s eyes hardened.
“Stability.”
“That sounds like a euphemism.”
“It is.”
She looked at Estelle.
“She wanted money.”
Maribel said, “She wanted security for Alina.”
Celia turned sharply.
“Don’t romanticize her.”
“I’m not.”
“You always do.”
Maribel’s voice sharpened.
“I said she wanted security.”
“She also wanted leverage.”
Maribel looked away.
Estelle folded the first page behind the second.
“According to this, Elise told my husband Alina was his daughter.”
Leandro stared at her.
“And she wasn’t.”
“That’s what he says.”
Celia nodded.
“She wasn’t.”
“Did Elise know?”
“Yes.”
Leandro’s face tightened.
“So she lied.”
“Yes.”
“To blackmail him.”
Celia hesitated.
“At first.”
Leandro laughed bitterly.
“There’s an ‘at first.’”
Celia looked toward the lamp.
“Elise was scared.”
“That excuses it?”
“No.”
“Then stop softening everyone.”
Celia’s mouth tightened.
“You think I haven’t spent twenty-three years being angry at her?”
Leandro looked away.
Celia continued.
“She lied because Peter could no longer work, she had a child, medical bills were piling up, and your father was terrified of scandal.”
Estelle’s voice was quiet.
“So she used his fear.”
“Yes.”
“And he paid.”
“Yes.”
Maribel added, “Then he got attached to Alina.”
Everyone looked at her.
Leandro’s expression changed.
“What?”
Maribel stared at her hands.
“He met her.”
Celia closed her eyes.
Leandro said, “When?”
“When she was eleven.”
Estelle went very still.
“That would have been around the time of the crash.”
“Yes.”
Maribel’s voice softened.
“After.”
Leandro pushed away from the desk.
“He met the child of the woman blackmailing him.”
“Yes.”
“And kept seeing her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Maribel looked at him.
“Because he liked her.”
Leandro stared.
Maribel shrugged faintly.
“She was funny.”
Something about the ordinary word made Estelle look up.
Maribel continued.
“She liked astronomy.”
Celia’s eyes flicked toward her.
“She still does.”
Maribel nodded.
“She used to correct him about planets.”
Leandro looked between them.
“How often did he see her?”
Celia answered.
“Not often.”
“What does that mean?”
“Birthdays sometimes.”
“School events?”
“Once or twice.”
“Christmas?”
“No.”
Leandro’s jaw tightened.
“Too dangerous.”
Celia nodded.
Estelle read further.
Her expression changed again.
“He says he knew she wasn’t his daughter after a blood test.”
Arthur frowned.
“What blood test?”
Celia looked uncomfortable.
“He arranged it privately.”
Leandro stared at her.
“Without Alina knowing?”
“Yes.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Celia did not disagree.
“He wanted certainty.”
“Did Elise know?”
“Eventually.”
“What did she do?”
“She threatened to tell Estelle everything.”
Estelle gave a dry laugh.
“Apparently that was the weapon everybody agreed would kill me.”
Nobody answered.
She looked around.
“I was not made of glass.”
Maribel’s eyes met hers.
“No.”
“Then why did all of you keep treating me like I was?”
Celia’s voice softened.
“I didn’t know you.”
“You knew enough to help lie to me.”
“Yes.”
Celia’s answer was immediate.
Estelle looked at her.
That honesty hurt more than an excuse would have.
Leandro paced to the bookshelves and back.
“Why keep paying after he knew Alina wasn’t his?”
Celia answered.
“Guilt.”
“For the crash?”
“Yes.”
Maribel shook her head.
“Not only that.”
Celia looked at her.
Maribel continued.
“He felt responsible for what Elise turned Alina into.”
Celia’s face hardened.
“Careful.”
“What does that mean?” Leandro asked.
Maribel took a breath.
“Elise raised her knowing money could be obtained by threatening disclosure.”
Celia stood.
“That is not fair.”
“It’s true.”
“She was a child.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t phrase it like she was trained for extortion.”
Maribel’s eyes flashed.
“I’m not blaming Alina.”
“You always blame Alina.”
“I blame the choices she makes now.”
Celia stepped closer.
“And I blame the fact that every adult around her taught her money was the only language this family understood.”
Leandro lifted one hand.
“Stop.”
Both women turned toward him.
“I need facts.”
Celia sat again.
Maribel did not.
Leandro looked at Estelle.
“What else does the letter say?”
Estelle scanned the final page.
“He says the reserve account was supposed to become a settlement after his death.”
Arthur frowned.
“To whom?”
“Peter Boone.”
Celia went still.
Leandro looked at her.
“You didn’t know.”
“No.”
Maribel’s eyes narrowed.
“I didn’t either.”
Estelle continued.
“Half to Peter if he was alive.”
Celia’s lips parted.
“He is.”
Everyone looked at her.
“He’s still alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“A care facility outside Salem.”
Leandro stared.
“You told us he never recovered.”
“He didn’t.”
“That is not the same as dead.”
“I know.”
Estelle read again.
“The other half was to Alina.”
Arthur stood.
“Now that is materially different.”
Leandro looked at him.
“Why?”
“If the account was intended as a structured settlement and someone is trying to redirect the full amount into a real estate escrow, we may be looking at unauthorized use.”
Maribel’s face hardened.
“Or Alina believes she’s entitled to all of it.”
Arthur looked at Celia.
“Does she know Peter is a beneficiary?”
Celia shook her head.
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think so.”
“No.”
Leandro’s eyes narrowed.
“What does she think the money is?”
Celia hesitated.
“That your father left it to her.”
“All of it.”
“Yes.”
Maribel folded her arms.
“Because that is what Elise told her.”
Celia looked away.
May you like
Leandro rubbed his mouth again.
“Where did Alina get account credentials?”
