Chapter 3 - Rosie in the Fountain
They found Rosie floating face-down in the garden fountain.
Emma broke free from Maria and ran before Alessandro could stop her. She dropped to her knees at the water’s edge and pulled the soaked doll against her sweater.
“No, no, no.”
Maria rushed after her. “Baby, it’s okay. I’ll fix her.”
Emma shook her head violently. “They did it because I told.”
The sentence hit harder than any accusation Isabella had made.
Alessandro crouched beside the child. “Listen to me. Nobody is going to hurt you.”
Emma’s wet lashes lifted. “You can’t promise that.”
Six years old, and she already knew adults made promises they could not keep.
He hated that she was right.
Marco searched the garden while Alessandro ordered the estate gates locked. Within ten minutes, every employee had been accounted for except one: Victor Hale, the family physician, who had visited the house before dawn for what the logbook called a “routine consultation.”
Alessandro stared at the entry.
“I didn’t call Victor.”
Isabella folded her arms. “I did.”
“Why?”
“You’ve barely slept in weeks. You’ve had headaches. You refuse to see anyone.”
“So you invited my doctor here at five-thirty in the morning?”
Her eyes flashed. “Because you don’t listen when people care about you.”
It sounded convincing. That was the problem.
Maria carried Emma upstairs to change. Before leaving, Emma turned around.
“Mr. Romano?”
“Yes?”
“Miss Isabella wasn’t alone last night.”
Isabella’s head snapped toward her.
Alessandro stayed very still. “Who else did you see?”
“I don’t know. A man. He was by the back door.”
“What did he look like?”
Emma pressed her cheek against Rosie’s wet hair. “Tall. Gray coat. He had a ring with a black stone.”
Marco swore under his breath.
Alessandro knew that ring.
His uncle, Enzo Romano, had worn one exactly like it for thirty years.
Enzo had also spent the last year pushing Alessandro to cancel the wedding.
Isabella stared at Alessandro. “Now do you understand? Somebody wants you to believe this is me.”
Before he could answer, Marco’s radio crackled.
“Sir, we found Dr. Hale’s car.”
“Where?”
“At the east gate.”
May you like
Marco’s expression changed.
“The driver’s door is open. There’s blood on the seat.”
