Chapter 17 - Matteo's Confession
Matteo told me to meet him at the marina.
This time, Grace came with me.
"No more protecting me from ugly truths," she said.
I didn't argue.
We found Matteo sitting alone on our father's old fishing boat.
He looked exhausted.
"I didn't run," he said. "I needed to tell you before Ward arrested me."
"Tell me what?"
He looked at Grace.
"The blood in the nursery was mine because I fought Dario there. The night they moved you, I tried to stop him. He cut my hand."
Grace frowned.
"Why didn't you say that?"
"Because I was the one who gave Mother access to the nursery cameras in the first place."
Silence.
Matteo admitted he had helped Sofia build a surveillance system months earlier. He believed she wanted to protect the estate from rivals.
"I gave her control of every camera, every door sensor, every staff access log. I built the cage before I knew who she planned to put inside it."
I wanted to hate him cleanly.
But guilt is rarely clean.
"And the last thing Grace doesn't know?" I asked.
Matteo took out an envelope.
Inside was a DNA test.
Grace stared at it.
"What is this?"
"Mother ordered it after Nicholas was born. She was looking for another excuse to take him."
My stomach tightened.
"And?"
Matteo handed me the page.
The test confirmed what I already knew in my bones.
I was Nicholas's father.
But a second section compared Nicholas to Sofia.
NO BIOLOGICAL GRANDPARENT RELATIONSHIP SUPPORTED.
I read it twice.
"That's impossible."
Matteo shook his head.
"Unless Sofia isn't our biological mother."
Grace whispered, "Then who is?"
May you like
Behind us, a woman's voice answered.
"I am."
