Page 46 of Hidden Resolution

“I’m sorry,” Mason said, meaning it. A loss like theirs was hard to comprehend. “I didn’t intend to dredge up the past. I just…”

Luigi waved him off. “These memories sit close to the surface when you’re my age, and it doesn’t take a lot to stir them.”

“To clarify, Eva was never pregnant before or after?” Mason probed gently, wishing he didn’t have to.

“No. Not with my child. If she and Nolan…” He shrugged.

“When she married Nolan, I was seven,” Shonda offered. “I would’ve noticed.”

Mason nodded. “Which side of the family carries twins?”

“Eva’s,” Luigi replied.

“What are you thinking, Mason?” she asked, her frown deepening with confusion.

He hesitated, weighing the damage truth might bring. If he was wrong, it could cause undue pain. If he was correct, well, he’d open up a whole other world of problems for her.

“Mason.”

Glancing between them, he came to a decision. “I think we need to review your family’s life insurance policies, especially your mother’s.”

“You think someone wants to kill her?” Her voice rose.

“Take a step back and look at what’s happened, love.” Mason stayed calm in the face of her disbelief. “Eva’s house went up in flames. Your car exploded. These aren’t coincidences. My guess is revenge or financial payout, or both.”

She turned to her father, pale and shaken. Together, they absorbed the full gravity of what he’d suggested.

“But why?” she asked. “I don’t get why anyone would want to harm either of us.”

Luigi gripped her hand and met Mason’s gaze. “I agree with Shonda. Eva’s wealth was substantial at one time, but her fortune has evaporated over the years under the weight of indulgence and pretense.”

“To an outsider, her financial status might not be as obvious,” Mason concluded. “She continues an elaborate lifestyle by anyone’s standard, doesn’t she?”

Shonda nodded. “Okay, I’ll give you that, but why me?”

“I haven’t quite unraveled the reason yet.” He had. Truth hovered on the edge of his tongue, but without proof, he wasn’t ready to mention it aloud.

“I can obtain the financials and life insurance policy for Eva. There is one for Shonda as well,” Luigi offered.

“Thanks,” Mason said.

“Papa, Eva… she…”

“It’s okay, child. You can tell me. I’m well past being hurt by her insults.”

“She said you had multiple affairs during your marriage to her. Did you father any other children?”

No amount of control could mask Luigi’s flare of fury. He was nowhere near past hurt.

Mason immediately recognized the direction in which Shonda was headed. It aligned too well with his own suspicions.

“You think maybe a bastardized child is seeking revenge against you and your mother because they missed out on the whole perfect family gig?” he asked.

Eyes locked on her father, she gave a sharp nod.

Luigi’s voice dropped to a ragged whisper. “She was wrong. You and your mother were my whole world, Bella. You’ve never believed me before, but you need to believe me now. I love you.”

Unwilling to intrude on their tender moment, Mason slipped outside and onto the balcony.