Chapter 2: The Envelope on the Blanket
Wendy didn't knock.
She didn't apologize.
She simply walked in like she owned the room — like she owned everything in it, including my daughter.
"Luca." Her voice was low and controlled.
"I told you this day would come."
Luca shot to his feet.
"You need to leave.
Right now."
"I don't think so." She stepped closer to Fiona's bassinet and looked down.
A slow smile crossed her face.
"She has the mark.
Just like every Vance woman before her."
I pulled Fiona tighter against my chest.
"Don't come near her."
Wendy finally looked at me — really looked at me — like I was something small and temporary.
"You seem like a decent woman, Jessi.
So I'll be honest with you." She set her handbag on the edge of my bed without asking.
"Your husband didn't run from me because I was dangerous.
He ran because of what he knew about himself.
About what he carries."
"Stop." Luca's voice cracked.
"Please."
"She deserves to know, Luca."
"Not like this!"
Wendy reached into her handbag and placed a sealed envelope on the blanket beside me.
"Everything is in there," she said quietly.
"The family history.
The condition.
What it means for Fiona."
I stared at the envelope.
My hands were shaking.
"What condition?" I whispered.
Neither of them answered.
And that silence was the most terrifying thing I had ever heard.
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What's inside that envelope — and what has Luca been carrying all these years without telling Jessi?
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The full truth is darker than you think.
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