Chapter 2
The reception ended forty minutes later.
Officially, a family emergency had interrupted the event.
Nobody believed that explanation, but Rocco had more urgent problems than gossip.
Julia brought Mia into a quiet education room away from the guests.
A museum first-aid employee checked the redness on her cheek. Her eye itself appeared unharmed, but Julia recommended that Rocco have her examined by her pediatrician and optometrist.
He agreed.
Celeste was escorted to a guest suite under supervision until her attorney could collect her.
Adrian was taken to another room.
Separated.
No private conversation between them.
Rocco sat beside Mia.
“How long has Celeste been taking your glasses?”
Mia swung her feet beneath the chair.
“When Uncle Adrian comes.”
“Only then?”
She nodded.
Rocco remembered Celeste complaining that Mia often misplaced them at night.
He had believed her.
Mia had severe farsightedness and wore prescription glasses from morning until bedtime. Without them, faces across a room blurred badly.
Celeste had transformed that weakness into convenience.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did.”
Rocco stopped.
“When?”
Mia thought.
“When you were talking.”
That could mean almost anything to a four-year-old.
Then Julia entered carrying something.
A museum transport tag.
“Mia said boxes.”
Rocco looked at it.
Julia explained that padded educational-equipment cases were stored at both the museum and Rocco’s Weston estate because the Moretti Foundation frequently sponsored school events and private demonstrations.
Over the previous two months, several cases had been moved out after regular hours.
Julia assumed Adrian had authorized it.
“Why would Adrian authorize museum inventory?”
“He chairs the foundation finance committee.”
Rocco leaned back.
The Moretti Foundation controlled the museum’s largest endowment.
Adrian had broad authority over donations, transportation, and private exhibits.
Rocco had given it to him.
“What was moved?”
Julia hesitated.
“According to the records? Educational equipment.”
“According to you?”
“I’m not sure anymore.”
She had noticed that some cases came back heavier or lighter than expected.
Nothing valuable had been reported missing.
But the movement records were unusually vague.
Rocco asked the obvious question.
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
Julia gave him a flat look.
“I did.”
He stared at her.
“Three weeks ago.”
Rocco remembered an email about irregular transfer documentation.
He forwarded it to Adrian.
Adrian replied that Julia was overreacting to routine donor loans.
Rocco never followed up.
Julia saw recognition on his face.
“That’s what I thought.”
The pattern was beginning to bother him.
Mia tried to warn him.
Julia tried to warn him.
Both warnings reached a system where Adrian already controlled the answer.
Then Rocco’s phone rang.
His security chief at the Weston house.
“Mr. Moretti, you need to come home.”
“What happened?”
“Your private study’s been opened.”
Rocco stood.
“When?”
May you like
The guard hesitated.
“According to the lock record, almost every night Adrian visited.”
