Chapter 4 - The Test That Changed Everything
The DNA test was arranged privately the next morning.
Joseph paced the study while we waited.
“You’re making me nervous,” I said.
“I don’t get nervous.”
“You’ve walked past that window forty-three times.”
He stopped.
“You counted?”
“I got bored.”
Mom sat on the sofa pretending to read.
Finally, the doctor called.
Joseph put the phone on speaker.
“Mr. Salvini, the probability of paternity is greater than 99.99 percent.”
Silence.
I looked at Joseph.
He looked at me.
Neither of us knew what to say.
The doctor continued speaking, but I stopped hearing him.
Twenty years.
Twenty years of my life had just been rewritten by one sentence.
Joseph ended the call.
“Well,” I said.
His voice was rough.
“Well.”
“You’re my father.”
“Yes.”
“You really need better reactions.”
He laughed.
It was the first time I heard him genuinely laugh.
Then his eyes filled.
Joseph Salvini turned away.
I didn’t let him.
“Hey.”
He looked back.
“I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted.
“Neither do I.”
“I missed everything.”
“That wasn’t my fault.”
“I know.”
“And it wasn’t Mom’s.”
His gaze moved toward Rose.
“I know that too.”
I stepped closer.
“You can’t get twenty years back.”
His expression tightened.
“But you’ve got tomorrow.”
Something in him broke.
He pulled me into his arms.
Tentatively.
As if waiting for permission.
I hugged him back.
Mom started crying.
I looked over Joseph’s shoulder.
“Seriously, Mom?”
“I’m allowed.”
Joseph laughed again.
For one perfect minute, the world outside that room didn’t exist.
Then his lieutenant entered.
“Boss.”
Joseph released me.
“What?”
“We found Carlo.”
“Where?”
“Downtown.”
Joseph’s face hardened.
I caught his sleeve.
“No.”
“Audrey.”
“You promised.”
“I promised nothing reckless.”
“You’re wearing the exact face people wear before doing something reckless.”
His lieutenant coughed to hide a laugh.
Joseph glared at him.
I said, “Talk first.”
Joseph finally nodded.
Carlo Ventresca agreed to meet at the Golden Crown.
The same restaurant where everything had started.
He arrived with two men.
Joseph brought none into the private dining room.
Only me.
He had argued against that.
I had won.
Carlo looked at me.
“So this is the famous daughter.”
“I wasn’t famous yesterday.”
“You are now.”
Joseph leaned forward.
“You threatened her.”
Carlo shrugged.
“I delivered a message.”
“Why?”
“Because Dominic owes me.”
Joseph’s eyes narrowed.
Carlo placed a folder on the table.
Inside were financial documents, photographs, and copies of letters.
Mom’s letters.
Joseph stared.
“What is this?”
Carlo smiled.
“The rest of the truth.”
Dominic hadn’t merely forced Mom to leave.
For years afterward, she had written to Joseph.
Birthday letters.
Christmas letters.
Letters telling him about me.
Dominic had intercepted every one.
Joseph read the first page.
His hands began shaking.
I took another.
Audrey took her first steps today.
Another.
She has your stubbornness.
Another.
She asked why she doesn’t have a father. I didn’t know what to say.
Joseph closed the folder.
“Where did you get these?”
“Dominic kept them.”
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
Carlo leaned back.
“He knew if Rose ever returned, he could control the story.”
Joseph stood.
Carlo raised a hand.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“Dominic didn’t leak Audrey’s photograph.”
I frowned.
“Then who did?”
Carlo looked at me.
“I did.”
Joseph moved.
I caught his arm.
“Dad.”
The word came out instinctively.
Joseph froze.
So did everyone else.
It was the first time I had called him that.
I tightened my grip.
“Sit down.”
Joseph stared at me.
Then slowly sat.
Carlo looked almost amused.
“Twenty years of men fearing Joseph Salvini, and apparently all we needed was his daughter.”
“Don’t push your luck,” I said.
Carlo’s smile vanished.
“Why leak the photo?” Joseph demanded.
“Because I wanted Dominic exposed.”
“You endangered Audrey.”
“I calculated the risk.”
Joseph leaned forward.
“You calculated wrong.”
Carlo nodded toward the folder.
May you like
“Then destroy me if you want. But first ask Dominic why he kept those letters.”
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