Chapter 14
The Bellomo family changed its own rules.
Genevieve had initially believed the Callahans were the only governance problem.
The audit proved otherwise.
Too much authority depended on family relationships.
Too many people assumed marriage created access.
Too many documents could be negotiated informally before reaching the board.
Genevieve introduced strict conflict rules for transactions involving spouses, fiancés, relatives, and family-controlled businesses.
Any pledge of legacy assets required independent valuation and outside review.
No spouse automatically received board access.
No family member could represent Bellomo support to lenders without written authorization.
Several capos complained.
Genevieve ignored them.
Adelaide attended every governance meeting.
Not because Genevieve suddenly needed her mother supervising her.
Because Adelaide had earned the right to remain where people had tried to remove her.
One afternoon, Genevieve found her sitting alone in the same ballroom where the wedding reception happened.
The tables were gone.
The dance floor was empty.
Only the chair Derek had kicked remained near the wall because staff had not known whether to discard it.
Genevieve looked at it.
“Why is that still here?”
Adelaide followed her gaze.
“I told them to keep it.”
“Why?”
“So nobody turns what happened into a nicer memory than it was.”
Genevieve sat beside her.
“You want it as evidence?”
“No.”
Adelaide smiled faintly.
“As furniture.”
Genevieve laughed.
Then her mother said, “You don’t have to spend the rest of your life proving you chose me.”
The laughter stopped.
Genevieve looked at her.
“I should have chosen you sooner.”
“No.”
Adelaide shook her head.
“You should have listened. That’s different.”
The distinction mattered.
Adelaide did not want her daughter trapped in permanent guilt.
She wanted respect.
Genevieve could give her that without rewriting herself as a villain.
They sat quietly.
May you like
Outside, Bellomo business continued.
Inside, neither woman rushed to repair everything in one conversation.
