Chapter 5
The forged approval destroyed Ramona’s advantage.
But only temporarily.
Because the underlying report was real.
Alina had spent four months reviewing donor accounts connected to the polo club.
Without telling Lorenzo.
That fact now sat between them.
Later, inside a locked office, Lorenzo stood at the window.
Alina remained near the desk.
Neither spoke.
The silence stretched until she finally broke it.
“You’re angry.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes flashed.
“At me?”
“Yes.”
She laughed once, incredulous.
“Marcus just tried to frame me.”
“I know.”
“Ramona pushed me while I was holding Lucy.”
“I know.”
“And you're angry because I checked the books?”
Lorenzo turned.
“No.”
His voice stayed low.
“Because you were afraid to tell me you were checking them.”
That stopped her.
His jaw tightened.
“What did you think I’d do?”
Alina looked away.
There it was.
The answer.
Lorenzo stepped closer.
“What?”
She took one slow breath.
“I thought you'd protect them.”
His eyes hardened.
“Marcus?”
“Family.”
Lorenzo’s hands opened at his sides.
No violence.
No shouting.
Still, the room felt smaller.
Alina continued.
“Every time someone questions a Carbone, you close ranks first and ask questions later.”
Lorenzo had no immediate answer.
Because she was right often enough to hurt.
Alina had found irregular payments from donor events into three consulting firms.
All three eventually linked back to Marcus.
Ramona controlled two foundation committees approving the expenses.
Roughly $6.8 million had moved over three years.
Marcus insisted the funds supported private security and family obligations.
Alina believed some of it did.
Not all.
The next clue came from Claire, the external auditor.
One vendor:
North Haven Sporting LLC.
Registered owner:
Derek Vaughn.
Lorenzo read the name twice.
His trusted head of security had not merely helped them enter the bedroom.
He had been getting paid.
Then Claire opened the account history.
The first payment to Derek was not three years old.
It was eight.
May you like
Long before Lorenzo married Alina.
The betrayal had started before she ever became a Carbone.
