Chapter 4 - The Man with the Black Ring
Stefano Montenegro arrived at the mansion before noon.
He entered through the front doors without knocking, wearing a charcoal suit and a black signet ring that caught the light. His hair was silver at the temples. His expression was calm, almost affectionate.
“Dante,” he said. “I heard you opened the north wing.”
Dante stood at the foot of the stairs.
“Who told you?”
“People talk. Especially when the household is in chaos.”
Stefano's gaze moved toward Lívia, who stood behind Theo. The boy was holding the blue blanket.
“And who is this?”
“The new maid,” Dante replied.
Stefano smiled. “The eighteenth?”
Lívia felt Theo press closer to her.
“Her name is Lívia,” Dante said.
“Of course.” Stefano looked at the child. “Theo, come here, little man.”
Theo hid behind Lívia.
Stefano's smile faded for a fraction of a second. Then he extended a hand.
“Come on. Your uncle has missed you.”
Theo shook his head.
Dante stepped between them. “What do you want?”
“I want to know why you are reopening an old tragedy. Your wife is dead. The woman who worked for her disappeared. There is nothing in that wing worth disturbing your son over.”
Dante held up Isabella's note.
Stefano's expression changed.
Only slightly. A blink. A tightening around the mouth. But Dante saw it.
“Where did you find that?”
“In the music box you said belonged to our mother.”
Stefano gave a small sigh. “Isabella was unwell at the time. She wrote all sorts of things.”
“She wrote your name.”
“She was frightened of everyone. She thought the household staff were conspiring against her.”
“Was she wrong?”
Stefano looked at Lívia. “You should take the boy upstairs.”
“No,” Dante said.
The room went silent.
Stefano lowered his voice. “You are letting a servant influence you.”
“I'm letting my son speak.”
“Your son barely speaks.”
“He spoke enough to identify you.”
Stefano's eyes moved toward Theo.
The boy began to tremble. His hand went to the blue blanket, twisting the edge around his fingers.
Lívia crouched beside him. “You can look at me.”
Theo did not.
“Do you want to go somewhere quiet?”
He nodded.
Dante called for Mrs. Bell to take him to the sitting room, but Theo refused to release Lívia's hand.
“Let her go with him,” Dante said.
Stefano laughed softly. “You cannot be serious. A maid is now the only person who can manage the heir?”
Dante turned. “She is the only person in this house who has not frightened him.”
The words landed like a slap.
Stefano's face hardened.
When Lívia and Theo had left the room, Dante moved closer to his uncle.
“Where is Flor?”
“I don't know.”
“Why did you seal her room?”
“Because she disappeared after your wife died. The police searched the property. There was no reason to keep the room open.”
“Who told the police she stole from us?”
“Her employment records showed missing items.”
“What items?”
Stefano shrugged. “A jewelry box. Some personal documents.”
“Did you see her take them?”
“No.”
“Did anyone?”
Stefano's silence answered.
Dante placed the note on the table. “Isabella wrote that I should ask Flor what she saw.”
“She was not thinking clearly.”
“What did she see?”
Stefano looked at his nephew with cold patience. “You are a powerful man, Dante. You have enemies. Your wife was frightened, and you were rarely home. She began imagining threats in every shadow. Flor encouraged her.”
“That's not an answer.”
“It is the only answer you need.”
Stefano turned to leave.
Dante caught his wrist.
The black ring pressed against Dante's palm.
“Don't come near my son again.”
Stefano looked down at the hand holding him. “You would threaten your own uncle over a servant's story?”
“I would do worse for less.”
He released him.
Stefano straightened his cuff. “Be careful, Dante. You have spent years keeping this family safe. Don't destroy it because a child has learned a name.”
He walked out.
Dante watched him go, then called Rocco.
“I want every record connected to Florentina Alvarez. Employment, bank transfers, phone records, travel, anything.”
“Understood.”
“And find out who had access to the north wing after it was sealed.”
Rocco hesitated. “You think someone has been going in?”
“I think my son heard someone.”
That evening, Lívia sat on the floor beside Theo's bed. The blue blanket was folded near his pillow. The child had refused to let it leave his sight.
“Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?” she asked.
He nodded.
She read a picture book about a small fox who lost his way in the forest. Theo listened without turning the pages. When she finished, he pointed at the fox.
“Lost.”
“Yes,” Lívia said. “He was lost. But someone was looking for him.”
Theo's eyes filled.
“Flor?”
“Maybe.”
He touched the blanket.
“Flor hide.”
“Did Flor hide you?”
He nodded.
“From the man with the ring?”
Theo covered his ears.
Lívia stopped.
She had learned enough that day to understand that asking too many questions could make the memory worse. She sat quietly, letting him hold the blanket and watch the night-light.
After a while, he reached for her hand.
“Stay.”
“I will.”
At the doorway, Dante watched them. He had heard the last word.
For two years, his son had been silent because the adults around him had mistaken fear for defiance.
And now a woman he barely knew was teaching him that he could speak without being punished.
After Stefano left, Dante remained in the entrance hall long after the doors had closed. Rocco asked whether he wanted the security team to follow his uncle.
“No. Not yet. I want to know who he speaks to first.”
Rocco nodded and left to arrange discreet surveillance.
Lívia brought Theo downstairs for lunch. The child had drawn another picture, this time of a blue blanket with a small flower in one corner. He placed it beside Dante's untouched glass of water.
Dante looked at it.
“Is this Flor's blanket?”
Theo nodded.
“Did she give it to you?”
“Mine.”
Dante sat beside him. “I'm sorry I let the room stay closed.”
Theo did not answer, but he pushed the drawing toward his father.
Dante touched the paper. “I should have listened.”
Lívia watched the exchange. She could see how much Dante wanted to hold his son, but he did not reach for him. He waited.
Theo finally leaned against his father's arm.
It was a small movement. Dante treated it as something precious.
Later, Dante asked Lívia what she had noticed about Theo's reactions.
“He is frightened by certain sounds, especially the bell and the music box. He also becomes upset when someone approaches him from behind or tries to take something out of his hands.”
“Because of what happened?”
“Probably. But I don't want to guess beyond what he has shown us.”
Dante nodded.
“Could Stefano have been coming into the wing?”
“Your son believes he saw him. The old passage gives someone a way to enter without using the main door.”
Dante looked toward the staircase. “I will have the passage sealed.”
“Not yet.”
He frowned.
“If Theo uses it to remember where Flor hid him, closing it suddenly might frighten him. Maybe let him see it being checked first. Explain what is happening.”
Dante considered that, then nodded. “You're right.”
That evening, he walked Theo to the panel and showed him the guards inspecting the passage. He told him that no one would come through it without permission. Theo watched carefully, then closed the panel himself.
When it clicked shut, he did not scream.
Dante looked at Lívia.
She gave him a small nod.
For the first time, he was learning that protecting his son did not always mean taking control. Sometimes it meant letting the boy understand what was changing.
After Stefano left, Dante remained in the entrance hall long after the doors had closed. Rocco asked whether he wanted the security team to follow his uncle.
“No. Not yet. I want to know who he speaks to first.”
Rocco nodded and left to arrange discreet surveillance.
Lívia brought Theo downstairs for lunch. The child had drawn another picture, this time of a blue blanket with a small flower in one corner. He placed it beside Dante's untouched glass of water.
Dante looked at it.
“Is this Flor's blanket?”
Theo nodded.
“Did she give it to you?”
“Mine.”
Dante sat beside him. “I'm sorry I let the room stay closed.”
Theo did not answer, but he pushed the drawing toward his father.
Dante touched the paper. “I should have listened.”
Lívia watched the exchange. She could see how much Dante wanted to hold his son, but he did not reach for him. He waited.
Theo finally leaned against his father's arm.
It was a small movement. Dante treated it as something precious.
Later, Dante asked Lívia what she had noticed about Theo's reactions.
“He is frightened by certain sounds, especially the bell and the music box. He also becomes upset when someone approaches him from behind or tries to take something out of his hands.”
“Because of what happened?”
“Probably. But I don't want to guess beyond what he has shown us.”
Dante nodded.
“Could Stefano have been coming into the wing?”
“Your son believes he saw him. The old passage gives someone a way to enter without using the main door.”
Dante looked toward the staircase. “I will have the passage sealed.”
“Not yet.”
He frowned.
“If Theo uses it to remember where Flor hid him, closing it suddenly might frighten him. Maybe let him see it being checked first. Explain what is happening.”
Dante considered that, then nodded. “You're right.”
That evening, he walked Theo to the panel and showed him the guards inspecting the passage. He told him that no one would come through it without permission. Theo watched carefully, then closed the panel himself.
When it clicked shut, he did not scream.
Dante looked at Lívia.
May you like
She gave him a small nod.
For the first time, he was learning that protecting his son did not always mean taking control. Sometimes it meant letting the boy understand what was changing.
