AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Janine pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh no. That’s terrible.”
Alyssa took the birth certificate back, frowning.
After a long silence, Maggie whispered, “But why did Teresa lead us here? What does this have to do with us?”
Alyssa blinked several times, studying the document, until her shoulders sagged. “It’s Dad’s birthday.”
“What?” Janine demanded.
“On the birth certificate.” Alyssa passed it over to Janine, who thought she might pass out. “Look.”
Sure enough, the date Giovanni Cacciapaglia had been born was the very day Janine had celebrated Jack Potter’s birth, year after year. But what did it mean? Why was this at the end of the scavenger hunt?
Alyssa closed her eyes. “Oh my gosh. Teresa wasn’t his real mother. And his father wasn’t his real father.”
Janine’s heart seized. “How can we be sure?”
“We have to go,” Alyssa stuttered. With the birth certificate still in her hand, she reached out to take Barbara’s and shake it. “Thank you so much for your help, Barbara. Really. We couldn’t have done this without you.”
Barbara smiled confusedly. “You’re so welcome. Let me know if you want to come back. I’m always happy to help one of Nico’s friends. You know, we grew up together? He’s like my brother.”
Back outside, Janine, Maggie, Nancy, Alyssa, and Nico grabbed a table in the piazza and ordered a variety of sparkling waters, juices, and wines. Nobody knew what to say. But a few minutes after they received their drink orders, Eva arrived, her smile bright. Apparently, Alyssa had invited her without telling the others.
“Good afternoon! I heard a rumor you’re heading out tomorrow,” Eva said as she slipped a chair between Alyssa and Janine. “What a terrible thing. I hope you’ll come back to visit soon.”
Everyone at the table assured her they would; they couldn’t stay away.
And then, Alyssa asked the million-dollar question. “Eva? Do you know who Maria Cacciapaglia is?”
Immediately, Eva’s face was shadowed, sinister. “How do you know that name?”
“I can explain everything,” Alyssa said. “Just tell us who she is.”
Eva no longer looked pleased to be there. “She was my mother and Teresa’s little sister, the black sheep of the family. She got involved in some horrible business with that society. Oh, goodness. I’ll never forgive them for how they brainwashed her! Mind you, this was all long before I was born, but my mother never let me forget.”
Janine’s stomach twisted into knots. She hadn’t expected this turn.
“What happened to her?” Alyssa breathed.
“She met a man in the society,” Eva said. “And he was cruel and manipulative. The family never saw her again.”
“But Teresa was in the society,” Maggie interjected.
“Yes. And, well, it’s true that Teresa got Maria involved,” Eva whispered. “But Teresa never let it take over her life. Not like Maria did. I don’t think Teresa ever forgave herself for Maria’s disappearance.”
Janine’s eyes filled with tears. Slowly, Alyssa removed the birth certificate from her pocket and unfurled it in front of Eva, who blinked down at it, her eyes spinning with confusion.
“We know this is my father’s birth certificate,” Alyssa said, her voice catching. “Which means Maria was our grandmother, not Teresa. And Teresa took Giovanni as her own, went to the United States, and ultimately married our grandfather.”
Eva was quiet for a long time, staring at the birth certificate— proof of a secret society’s horrific attacks on a wonderful family. “Leonardo was the man who took Maria away from the family,” she affirmed. “But I didn’t know he died. I didn’t know Maria died in childbirth. Oh, no. This cannot be.” She placed her hand over her mouth.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Maggie said, wiping a tear from her own cheek.
Eva lifted her eyes toward Janine. “You’re the only one who knew Jack’s father. Why did he do it? Why did he adopt this Italian baby and call him Jack Potter?”
Janine’s memories of Jack’s father were ancient, filled with shadows and personal resentments. Constantly, she’d felt frightened of Jack’s father’s rage, his assurance that Janine wasn’t enough for their family.
“He must have really loved Teresa,” Janine offered finally. “I have no other explanation.”
