Chapter 5 - THE FOOD THREATS WERE REALThe house chef, Teresa, came forward.
She had noticed Leo’s appetite changing.
Sometimes he ate too quickly.
Sometimes hid crackers in his pockets.
Teresa once told Helena:
“He acts like he thinks food disappears.”
Helena replied:
“He’s dramatic.”
Teresa documented one incident.
Leo asked for dinner after refusing peas.
Helena said:
“No dinner until he learns.”
Teresa quietly gave him toast later.
Why didn’t she tell Carmine?
She was afraid.
Not of Carmine.
Of losing her job.
Helena had warned staff:
“Carmine doesn’t want household complaints while he’s traveling.”
False.
But plausible.
Carmine had been absent more.
Business restructuring.
Security reviews.
Family investments.
He had created a house where access to him was too filtered.
That mattered.
He apologized to staff later.
Not theatrically.
Specifically.
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“You should never have needed permission from Helena to tell me something about Leo’s safety.”
Then he changed the system.
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