Chapter 3 - The Man Dominic Trusted
Luca Moretti arrived at 1:36 a.m.
He walked into Dominic’s study smiling.
“Boss. Marco said there was an emergency.”
Dominic sat behind his desk.
Marco stood near the door.
“Sit down, Luca.”
Luca’s smile faded.
He sat.
Dominic placed a printed email on the desk.
“Recognize this?”
Luca glanced at it.
“It’s from Elena.”
“No.”
Dominic pushed another page forward.
“And this?”
“Another email.”
“No.”
Luca looked up.
Dominic’s voice remained calm.
“They’re messages sent from accounts supposedly belonging to my sister.”
Luca leaned back.
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither did I.”
Dominic placed Elena’s old letters on the desk.
Dr. Bennett had found them inside the small bag Elena carried when Marco found her.
Letters returned unopened.
Every envelope had been addressed to Dominic.
Every one had been intercepted.
Luca stared at them.
Marco crossed his arms.
Dominic asked one question.
“Where has my sister been for three years?”
“I have no idea.”
“Wrong answer.”
“Dominic—”
“Try again.”
Luca stood.
“This is insane.”
“Sit.”
“I have worked for you for twelve years.”
“So sit down and help me understand.”
Luca remained standing.
Dominic didn’t raise his voice.
That somehow made the room colder.
Finally, Luca sat.
Dominic continued.
“You handled Elena’s communications.”
“Yes.”
“You handled the Bellhaven trust.”
“Yes.”
“You knew the land value was increasing.”
“I manage your assets. Of course I knew.”
“You arranged Elena’s relocation three years ago.”
Luca paused.
“On your instructions.”
“I gave no such instructions.”
Luca looked toward Marco.
Then toward the door.
Dominic noticed.
“Nobody is stopping you from leaving.”
Luca blinked.
“What?”
“You can walk out.”
Marco looked at Dominic, surprised.
Dominic leaned back.
“But tomorrow morning, my attorneys will freeze every company account you’ve touched. Independent auditors will review twelve years of transactions. Elena will give a statement to the authorities about what happened to her.”
Luca’s face drained.
“And if you’re innocent,” Dominic continued, “you should welcome that.”
Luca stared at him.
“You would expose your own organization?”
“To protect my sister?”
Dominic leaned forward.
“Without hesitation.”
The study door opened.
Elena stood there.
Dominic immediately rose.
“You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“I heard his voice.”
Luca stared at her.
“Elena.”
She flinched.
Dominic noticed.
He moved between them without touching either person.
Elena looked past her brother.
“You told me Dominic abandoned me.”
Luca remained silent.
“You told me he wanted nothing to do with me.”
“Elena, you don’t understand the situation.”
“Then explain it.”
“I was protecting you.”
“By locking me inside a house?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then why couldn’t I leave?”
Luca looked toward Dominic.
“You know what your brother’s life is. I kept you away from it.”
Elena laughed once, without humor.
“You stole three years.”
“I kept you alive.”
“You wanted my signature.”
Dominic turned toward him.
“What signature?”
Elena answered.
“The Bellhaven transfer.”
Luca’s expression betrayed him.
Dominic saw it.
“So that was it.”
Luca stood again.
“You have no idea what that land is worth.”
“I know exactly what it’s worth.”
“No, you don’t. It’s not millions anymore. The new port contract changes everything. That property controls the eastern access corridor.”
Marco quietly said, “Hundreds of millions.”
Luca looked at him.
That was enough.
Dominic finally understood.
This had never been personal.
It had been greed.
Luca walked toward the door.
Dominic didn’t stop him.
“Where are you going?” Marco asked.
Dominic answered instead.
“He’s leaving.”
Luca looked back suspiciously.
“That’s it?”
Dominic picked up his phone.
“Yes.”
He dialed.
“Mr. Hayes? Dominic Russo. Activate the audit. Freeze the Bellhaven transfer and send everything to the proper authorities.”
Luca’s confidence vanished.
“You wouldn’t.”
Dominic looked at Elena.
Then back at the man he had trusted for twelve years.
May you like
“I already did.”
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