Chapter 4 - What Adrian’s Father Left Behind
By sunrise, Victoria and Marco were in custody.
But Adrian refused to go to the hospital until the cellar was searched.
Claire stood in the foyer with her arms crossed.
“You have seventeen minutes before I personally drag you into an ambulance.”
Gabriel almost smiled.
Adrian said, “You couldn't drag me anywhere.”
Claire looked down at his injured leg.
“Would you like to test that theory?”
“No.”
They returned to the cellar with investigators.
Behind the steel door, Gabriel opened the old files.
Bank records.
Offshore accounts.
Property transfers.
Payments.
Adrian read one page twice.
“What?”
Gabriel handed it to him.
“Your father's death.”
Adrian went still.
The official story had always been a heart attack.
The records told another story.
Payments to a private physician.
A toxicology consultant.
A cremation facility.
All approved by Victoria.
Claire watched Adrian’s face.
“Your father knew.”
“Yes.”
“That's why he wrote the letter.”
Gabriel opened another folder.
“There's more.”
A trust.
Adrian's father had created it in secret.
Its purpose was simple.
If Victoria ever attempted to seize the organization through violence, control of several legitimate Moretti companies would transfer automatically to Adrian.
She had spent eighteen years believing those companies belonged to her.
They never had.
Adrian let out a slow breath.
“She killed him for an empire she didn't own.”
Noah, sitting on a chair nearby with cereal in a paper cup, said,
“That's dumb.”
Gabriel laughed unexpectedly.
Adrian looked at Noah.
“Yes.”
Claire folded her arms.
“Now hospital.”
Adrian ignored her.
She stepped directly into his path.
“Adrian.”
The room went quiet.
He looked at her.
“You used my first name.”
“You're about to lose consciousness.”
“I am not.”
His knees buckled.
Gabriel caught him.
Claire raised an eyebrow.
Adrian sighed.
“Hospital.”
Noah lifted both arms.
“I wanna ride in the ambulance.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian looked at Noah.
“Neither do I.”
Noah nodded sympathetically.
“They're loud.”
May you like
Adrian pointed at him.
“Finally. Someone reasonable.”
