“Yes, sir.”
When they reached the villa, music was playing.
Same soft jazz.
Same terrace.
Same lie.
Elena stood outside the door for one second, hand over her heart. Mia squeezed her shoulder.
“You don’t have to be graceful,” Mia whispered.
Elena took off her sunglasses.
“Yes,” she said. “I do. That’s what will scare him.”
She unlocked the door.
Leonardo was in the living room wearing linen pants and an open white shirt, holding a glass of champagne. The woman in red was curled on the sofa, barefoot, her dark hair loose over one shoulder. Elena’s diamond earrings glittered in her ears.
The woman looked up first.
Then Leonardo turned.
For half a second, his face emptied.
No charm.
No anger.
Just shock.
Then he smiled.
“Elena,” he said, too warmly. “You’re back early.”
Elena looked at the woman.
“Take off my earrings.”
The woman blinked.
Leonardo laughed lightly.
“Baby, this is not what it looks like.”
Mia stepped inside behind Elena.
Victor followed.
Leonardo’s smile weakened.
Elena did not raise her voice.
“I said take off my earrings.”
The woman slowly reached up and removed them.
“And the bracelet.”
“Elena,” Leonardo said, tone sharpening, “don’t embarrass yourself.”
Elena looked at him.
“You sent your wife away to a prepaid spa reservation you booked six weeks before the wedding so your ex-girlfriend could come to our honeymoon villa and wear jewelry from my safe. I promise, Leonardo, I am not the embarrassment in this room.”
The woman’s face went pale.
“Six weeks?” she whispered.
Leonardo shot her a look.
“Vanessa, don’t.”
Elena smiled faintly.
Vanessa.
So the red dress had a name.
Vanessa stood slowly, clutching the earrings and bracelet in her hand.
“You told me she knew the marriage was fake.”
Elena’s blood went cold.
Mia muttered, “Oh, this is getting better.”
Leonardo’s face hardened.
“Vanessa, shut up.”
Victor stepped forward.
“I advise everyone in this room to be very careful with the next sentence.”
Vanessa looked at Victor, then at Elena.
“He said the marriage was for optics,” Vanessa blurted. “He said your father was investing in his company and that you two had an arrangement. He said you were clingy but understood.”
Elena stared at Leonardo.
“What investment?”
Leonardo set his glass down.
“This is ridiculous.”
Victor opened his folder.
“Mr. Pierce, before we continue, you should know that Mrs. Pierce has already requested preservation of resort security records, villa access logs, and communications related to the spa booking. She is also reporting unauthorized access to her personal jewelry.”
Leonardo’s mask slipped.
“Unauthorized? I’m her husband.”
Elena’s voice was ice.
“You are not the owner of my diamonds.”
Vanessa placed the jewelry on the coffee table.
“I didn’t steal anything.”
Elena turned to her.
“You wore them.”
“He gave them to me.”
“And you believed a bride packed diamonds so her husband could dress his ex during their honeymoon?”
Vanessa looked down.
That answer was enough.
Leonardo walked toward Elena.
“We need to talk privately.”
Victor stepped between them.
“No.”
Leonardo’s eyes flashed.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Her attorney.”
“You don’t have an attorney on your honeymoon,” Leonardo snapped.
Elena looked around the villa.
“And yet here we are.”
Mia almost smiled.
Vanessa grabbed her purse and moved toward the door.
Leonardo turned on her.
“Where are you going?”
“Away from whatever this is.”
He grabbed her wrist.
Elena’s stomach twisted.
There it was.
Not love.
Possession.
Vanessa looked at his hand, then at Elena, and something passed between the two women that had nothing to do with friendship. Recognition, maybe. Or warning.
“Let go,” Vanessa said.
Leonardo did not.
Victor’s voice sharpened.
“Mr. Pierce.”
Leonardo released her.
Vanessa walked to the door, then stopped. She looked back at Elena.
“He has a storage unit in Malibu,” she said. “Pacific Coast Storage. Unit 118. He kept saying once your dad’s wire cleared, everything would be fine.”
Leonardo’s face turned white.
“Vanessa.”
She smiled bitterly.
“No, Leo. I’m not going down for your honeymoon scam.”
Then she left.
The villa went silent.
Elena turned to Victor.
“What wire?”
Victor’s expression was grim.
“Let’s ask your father.”
Leonardo laughed, but it came out wrong.
“This is insane. Elena, you’re emotional. You saw something hurtful, and now everyone is turning it into a conspiracy.”
Elena walked to the safe in the bedroom.
It was open.
Inside, her velvet jewelry case sat empty.
She took photos.
Then she walked back into the living room, picked up the earrings and bracelet with a napkin, and placed them into a plastic bag Mia had brought.
Leonardo stared.
“What are you doing?”
“Collecting what’s mine.”
“I bought you that bracelet.”
“No,” Elena said. “My father did. You only handed me the box.”
His jaw tightened.
That was confirmation enough.
Victor’s phone rang.
He stepped outside to answer it.
Leonardo moved closer to Elena, lowering his voice.
