Chapter 10 - The Son Nobody ClaimedNoah survived.
Victor Ashford entered at 9:03 a.m.
By 9:17, three directors had voted to freeze Enzo’s authority.
The official reason was instability.
Attempted assassination.
Criminal investigations involving family companies.
Dominic’s arrest.
Potential federal seizure of assets.
Victor presented himself as the calm alternative.
He claimed the engagement between Enzo and Camilla still represented a binding commercial partnership between Ashford Capital and Marchetti Holdings.
It was a lie.
But boardrooms often treated expensive lies more respectfully than uncomfortable truths.
Enzo watched the meeting remotely from Chicago.
His attorneys appeared by video.
Victor did not know Enzo had the recovered ledgers.
Not yet.
“That man tried to kill you,” Adeline said.
They were inside a secure conference room at Marchetti headquarters.
Camilla had gone to reunite with Isabelle.
Police remained outside.
Enzo’s face appeared on a large screen beside Victor’s.
“We believe Mr. Ashford participated in criminal acts involving Marchetti assets,” Enzo said.
Victor smiled.
“Believe?”
“My evidence is being provided to federal authorities.”
“And yet no charges have been filed against me.”
“Give it time.”
Victor looked toward the board.
“This is what I mean. Enzo has become emotional.”
Adeline’s hands tightened.
She understood suddenly why men like Victor survived.
They did not shout.
They let other people shout and then called them unstable.
Victor continued.
“The Marchetti companies employ twelve thousand people. We cannot allow grief, romantic scandal, and the accusations of domestic staff to determine corporate policy.”
Domestic staff.
Adeline felt every eye in the Chicago room move toward her.
Enzo’s expression remained calm.
“Her name is Adeline Croft.”
Victor shrugged.
“Of course.”
“And she saved my life.”
“So we’ve heard.”
“She also preserved evidence your people tried to destroy.”
Victor’s smile faded slightly.
“Allegedly.”
Enzo leaned toward the camera.
“You knew Luca found out.”
Silence.
Victor recovered quickly.
“This board meeting is not a criminal trial.”
“No.”
Enzo nodded.
“So let’s talk money.”
That changed the room.
He shared a document.
Wire transfers appeared.
Millions moved between Ashford subsidiaries and companies controlled by Dominic.
Victor’s attorney stood.
“These records are unauthenticated.”
Enzo shared another.
Signed contracts.
Another.
Bank confirmations.
Another.
Victor’s own signature.
The boardroom became silent.
Enzo continued.
“For twelve years, Victor Ashford and Dominic Marchetti diverted funds through shell companies while using family properties to move restricted industrial compounds.”
A director whispered, “Jesus.”
Victor said, “End this transmission.”
Nobody moved.
Enzo looked toward one of the senior trustees.
“Mr. Caldwell, you asked whether I’m capable of protecting the company.”
Caldwell adjusted his glasses.
“Yes.”
“Then here is my answer.”
Enzo placed a signed document on camera.
“As of this morning, I am voluntarily placing every Marchetti entity connected to these transactions into independent forensic review.”
Victor laughed.
“You’ll destroy your own company.”
“The legitimate companies will survive.”
“And the others?”
“I don’t care.”
The board erupted.
Directors shouted.
Attorneys objected.
Enzo waited.
Then he said, “I’m also waiving family confidentiality restrictions and cooperating with federal investigators.”
Victor’s face finally changed.
“You stupid boy.”
Everyone heard it.
Not Mr. Marchetti.
Not Enzo.
Boy.
The mask slipped.
Enzo smiled faintly.
“There you are.”
Victor stood.
“This meeting is over.”
The conference-room doors in Manhattan opened.
Federal agents entered.
Victor froze.
The lead agent approached.
“Victor Ashford?”
His attorney stepped between them.
“What is this?”
The agent held up a warrant.
Victor looked directly into the camera.
At Enzo.
Then at Adeline standing behind him.
His eyes sharpened.
“You.”
Adeline stepped closer to the screen.
Victor smiled coldly.
“You should have taken the money three years ago.”
Enzo stood.
“Don’t speak to her.”
Victor ignored him.
“Your brother got sick because you couldn’t mind your business.”
Adeline felt rage replace fear.
“No. My brother got sick because men like you thought poor employees were cheaper than safe storage.”
Several directors stared.
Victor realized too late he had said too much.
The federal agent touched his arm.
“Sir, turn around.”
Victor’s face twisted.
“You think you’ve won?”
Adeline answered before Enzo could.
“No.”
Victor stared at her.
“I think you finally lost.”
The screen went black as agents removed him.
Nobody celebrated.
Not yet.
There were still charges to file.
Companies to audit.
Victims to find.
Truth to untangle.
But the trap had closed.
Victor Ashford was in custody.
Dominic Marchetti was in custody.
Isabelle was safe.
Peter Vale was dead.
And the engagement that had supposedly united two powerful families had exposed decades of corruption instead.
Adeline thought the worst was over.
She was wrong.
That evening, Noah collapsed.
He had been eating dinner with Ruth when his hands began shaking.
Then came vomiting.
Dizziness.
Difficulty breathing.
By the time Adeline reached the hospital, doctors had already moved him into intensive care.
Ruth stood outside the room sobbing.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
A doctor approached.
“Are you his sister?”
“Yes.”
“We believe he was exposed to a toxic substance.”
Adeline went cold.
“No.”
“We’re treating aggressively.”
“What substance?”
“We’re waiting on toxicology.”
Enzo appeared behind her with Marco.
Adeline turned on him.
“How did anyone get near him?”
“We had security.”
“Then how?”
Marco’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face darkened.
“The food.”
“What?” Enzo asked.
“Delivery came from a restaurant.”
Ruth shook her head.
“We didn’t order anything.”
Marco looked at Adeline.
“The driver said it was a gift.”
“From who?”
He hesitated.
“The card said Enzo.”
Adeline stared at him.
Enzo’s face went pale.
“I sent nothing.”
Ruth whispered, “Noah ate it.”
Adeline backed against the wall.
Victor was in custody.
Dominic was in custody.
So who was still attacking them?
Then Detective Ramirez arrived.
She carried an evidence bag.
Inside was the restaurant card.
“Adeline.”
“What?”
Ramirez turned it over.
On the back someone had written:
LUCA WASN’T THE LAST BROTHER.
Enzo stared.
Ramirez continued.
“We searched Dominic’s financial records.”
“And?”
“He’s been sending money to someone for twenty-two years.”
“Who?”
“A woman named Teresa Vale.”
Adeline remembered the poisoned waiter.
“Vale?”
“Peter Vale’s mother.”
Enzo frowned.
Ramirez looked at him.
“We pulled Peter’s birth certificate.”
“And?”
She hesitated.
“Father listed as Salvatore Marchetti.”
Silence.
Enzo’s face drained of color.
Peter Vale had not merely been a hired assassin.
May you like
He had been Enzo’s half-brother.
And someone had murdered him before he could reveal why he agreed to poison his own family.
