The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 233

Chapter 209: The Letter-2

“I want more information before I decide,” I said finally. “He says the records match, but I need to see them myself. I want to know exactly what he found and how he found it.”

I looked down at the paper in my hands, then back up at my husband. “More than that, I want to know about him. I want to know what kind of life he has lived for the last years. Is he married? Does he have a wife who knows nothing about this, or a family that will view me as a threat? I need to know if he has other children-if I have half-siblings out there who have no idea I exist.”

I paused, the weight of the letter settling heavily in my chest. “I need to know what we are stepping into, Caleb. If I respond to this, I am opening a door I can never close again. I want to know if this man is genuine, or if there is an angle I am missing. I won’t put any part of myself, or our family, into this until I know the whole truth.”

Caleb didn’t hesitate. He reached across the table and covered my hand with his. “I can have him investigated within forty-eight hours,” he said.

“You’re already thinking about it?”

“Since the moment the letter came through the door,” he said honestly. “I’ll look into his personal life, his business, his reputation, and his immediate family. We will know exactly who he is before he ever gets a call from you.”

I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding since I opened the envelope, and nodded. “Do it. But keep it completely quiet. I don’t want him to know we are looking.”

Caleb nodded and picked up his phone.

The results came back in two days. Caleb went through them with me at the kitchen table. He did it the same way he had done the first time-step by step, without hiding anything.

Sebastien Marchetti. Sixty-five years old. His wife had died eighteen months ago. He had married her in his early forties, and it was a match based on social standing. They had two sons: Olivier, twenty-three, and Enzo, twenty.

The Marchetti Group was huge. It owned private banks, expensive real estate, and fashion companies across Europe and the Middle East. It was one of the largest private businesses on the continent. Sebastien’s reputation was clean. People knew him as a demanding, precise, and private man. There had been no scandals in thirty years.

“The wife,” I said. “What does it say about their marriage?”

Caleb looked down at the paper. “They were polite, but they lived separate lives. She managed their social calendar and he ran the company. They had two homes and never fought in public.” He paused. “The investigator thinks the marriage worked for them, but it was not romantic.”

“And the sons?”

“Olivier is being trained to take over the company. He lives in Lyon and works inside the business. Enzo is in Paris finishing an art degree.” Caleb looked up at me. “As far as the records show, neither of them knows you exist.”

13

Chapter 209 the better-2

Clarm

thought about that. I had two younger brothers who did not know about me. And I had a father who had spent years believing a lie about why my mother left.

“He is telling the truth,” I said.

“The investigator thinks so too,” Caleb said. “He doesn’t need money. He is richer than we are. There is no tricky business reason for him to find a daughter after years. The firm that checked the records was just a regular law office in Geneva. They aren’t connected to any of our business rivals.”

Caleb set the report down. “If he brings you into his life, it actually makes his estate and his will much more complicated. But he is doing it anyway.”

I looked at the letter still sitting on the table between us.

“I am going to write back,” I said.

Caleb did not look surprised. He just nodded and asked, “What will you say to him?”

“I will tell him that I know about the records,” I said. “And I will tell him that I want to meet him before I make any big choices.”

“Do you want to go alone?” Caleb asked.

“No,” I said, looking straight at him. “I want you with me, I am going to tell him that I am bringing my husband.”

Caleb reached across the table and touched my hand. “I will be there. Wherever you need to go, I am coming with you.”

“Good,” I said as I took a deep breath. “There is one more thing he needs to understand. I am going to write it clearly. I am not looking for a new family. I do not need a new father, and I do not need brothers. I am only looking for the truth about my mother and my past. Once I have the truth, I will decide what happens next.”

“That is smart,” Caleb said. “It sets a clear rule. He needs to know that he cannot just walk in and claim a place in your life.”

“Exactly,” I said. “He needs to respect my boundaries. If he is genuine, he will understand why I am being careful.”

“And if he isn’t?” Caleb asked. “What if we get there and something feels wrong?”

“Then we leave,” I said simply. “We get on a plane and we come home to our kids. He has no power over

Caleb smiled slightly, his eyes warm. “He really doesn’t. You are strong, Bella. You built your own life, and nothing he says can change that.”

“I know,” I said. “But I still need to know where I came from. I cannot just pretend I never read that letter.”

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