“Let’s get to work, then.” Leo chuckled.
Remi came across a worn, leather-bound journal. She hesitated before opening it. Inside, Gerard’s neat script filled thepages—business notes, scattered thoughts. She even saw ideas for the winery scribbled on notebook paper.He was making his own plans forJoie, she thought with a subtle smile. Tucked between two pages, a photograph caught her attention. A candid shot of the two of them—Remi’s stomach the size of a watermelon. Both of them young, smiling like they had the world in their hands. Her throat tightened.
Leo seemed to notice the change in her posture. “What’s up?”
She held up the photo with a soft, bittersweet smile. “We were so young. Just starting our family. So full of vision. We thought we had forever.”
Leo reached over, gently took the journal, and set it aside. “You did start to build something. Something worth continuing. You’re buildingJoie.”
She blinked back tears. “I don’t even know what that looks like without him.”
“Maybe it’s not about doing it without him,” Leo said, “but with the part of him that’s still here.”
Remi looked at him, her eyes softened. “You always say the right things.”
Leo gave a half smile. “I say what I mean. There’s a difference.”
She touched his arm. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being here.”
“Anytime.” He gave a small nod. “What is it that you’re looking for in all of this stuff, anyway?”
She sighed. “Just trying to make sense of everything. I’ve found bank statements I didn’t know existed, stock options, a trust I forgot he set up for Zoe. Another insurance policy. This man had money everywhere.”
Leo took a sip of his tea. “He was diversifying.” He chuckled.
“He was doing too much and not telling me.” Remi giggled.
Leo reached for one of the unopened file folders.
“After reviewing these bank statements, I’m still trying to figure out who he made this five-thousand-dollar payment to. Just an odd payment that stands out.”
“Let me see.” Leo grabbed it from her. “You have to look at the detailed ledger.”
“My eyes are starting to cross,” Remi said.
Leo studied the bank statement. “Okay, here’s the payment.”
“Who’s it to?” Remi asked, while taking a long sip of her tea.
“Looks like …” He paused for a moment. “Bianca Fuentes Perez.”
“What?” She snatched the paper from his grasp. Observed the line item for herself. “Why in the hell would he give Bianca five thousand dollars and not tell me?”
Leo observed the other statements. “It wasn’t a one-time thing, Rem. It was a recurring auto payment that spans … years, looks like.”
Remi froze. Her heart started beating rapidly against her chest. The beating was so loud, it rang in her ears. A silent scream brewed in her belly.
Leo reached for one of the unopened file folders and flipped it open. “This one says ‘Private—Personal Correspondence.’ You wanna look—or no?”
Remi’s mind raced. She didn’t know if she was ready for more. She was stuck somewhere between curiosity and not wanting to know what was inside the file folder. The payments to Bianca already had her stomach in knots. “That’s the folder that was in the safe.”
Leo passed it to her without a word.
She sat there, closed her eyes for a moment, then opened it slowly.