Lucinda explained how she had been kept away, how lies had been planted carefully and repeatedly, how another woman had inserted herself into Isadora’s life under false pretenses, offering guidance and support while quietly controlling access to information, medical care, and trust.
The realization struck Matteo with sickening clarity when he understood who that woman was, someone who had remained close to his family long after Isadora’s death, someone who had insisted the girls required strict supervision and heavy treatment, someone who had encouraged dependence while claiming it was protection.
The confrontation was inevitable.
When Matteo finally faced her, she did not deny what she had done, because there was no longer any point, and when she spoke, her voice was cold and calculated.
“You would not have survived without me,” she said. “Three disabled children and a broken man do not keep custody for long.”
“You made them believe they were blind,” Matteo replied, his hands shaking with restrained fury.
“I made them need me,” she answered. “That was enough.”
The investigation that followed uncovered everything.