Chapter 3
Marcella had always treated Elsie strangely.
Never openly enough to force a war.
Never kindly enough to be forgotten.
At family parties, she called Elsie “the little princess” with a smile that made the words sound borrowed.
At Christmas, she gave expensive gifts but never chose anything personal.
When Elsie once asked why she did not look like Vincent, Marcella answered:
“Families are complicated.”
Vincent heard and said sharply:
“Families are chosen.”
Marcella smiled.
“Some more carefully than others.”
The family assumed Marcella resented Elsie because Vincent had made her his legal heir in legitimate trust documents.
Not to the criminal organization.
To the clean assets.
A school fund.
A residence trust.
Shares in several restaurants that had passed outside illegal operations after restructuring.
Marcella argued that an adopted child with unknown blood should not hold legacy Corvino interests.
Vincent ignored her.
Agnes Corvino, Vincent’s mother, had once warned him:
“Marcella talks about blood when she means control.”
That warning came back after the banquet.
Elsie told Detective Lena Hart that she found the envelope in the fireplace room.
“Aunt Marcella was going to burn it.”
“Did she say anything?”
Elsie nodded.
“She said nobody gets to make Daddy stupid with paper.”
“What did you do?”
“I took it because it had my name.”
The envelope did not have Elsie’s full name.
It had initials.
E.C.
But Elsie recognized the pink ribbon sticker from her gift box.
She thought it was part of her birthday surprise.
When Marcella realized Elsie had taken it, she waited until dinner, pulled the chair, and kicked the box aside.
Not random cruelty.
Panic dressed as contempt.
Lena asked:
“Why hide a DNA report in a child’s gift box?”
Vincent answered:
“She didn’t hide it there to keep it. She hid it there because she needed to move it through a room full of people.”
May you like
Marcella had planned to burn the report after the banquet.
Elsie had carried it into the open instead.
