Chapter 7 - VANESSA'S FINAL CHOICE
Richard was arrested.
Celeste faced multiple charges.
The forged trust documents were invalidated.
The DeMarco board removed Richard's allies.
But Vanessa remained.
She had cooperated with investigators.
Still, Elena did not trust her.
One afternoon Vanessa came to Elena's office.
“I want to apologize.”
Elena looked up from a document.
“You already did.”
“I mean it this time.”
Elena waited.
Vanessa placed a small box on the desk.
Inside was Elena's pearl button.
The same one that had fallen from the wedding dress.
“I kept it.”
“Why?”
“Because when I wore your dress, I thought I was stealing your life.”
She looked down.
“But I realized something.”
Elena waited.
“I didn't want your life.”
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“I wanted to be loved the way everyone loved you.”
Elena almost laughed.
“Everyone didn't love me.”
“I know that now.”
Vanessa took a breath.
“I'm going to testify against Celeste.”
Elena stared.
“That could send her to prison.”
“I know.”
“She's still your mother.”
Vanessa wiped her eyes.
“She stopped being my mother when she taught me that hurting people was the price of belonging.”
Elena softened.
For the first time, she saw Vanessa not as the beautiful stepsister who had always competed with her.
But as another woman who had been raised inside Celeste's manipulation.
“You should tell the truth.”
“I will.”
Vanessa stood.
Then she turned.
“Elena?”
“Yes?”
“Does Lorenzo still love you?”
Elena looked toward the window.
“I don't know.”
Vanessa smiled sadly.
“He does.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at the door after you leave.”
Elena said nothing.
But that night, when she returned home, there were no flowers.
No expensive gifts.
No dramatic declarations.
Only a handwritten note.
From Lorenzo.
I don't want you to come back because I miss you.
I want to become someone you would choose even if you never needed anything from me.
Elena read it twice.
Then she folded it carefully.
May you like
She didn't call him.
Not yet.