Chapter 7
Bianca filed for a protective order.
Her filing described Alessandro as controlling, violent, and emotionally unstable after the death of Livia’s mother.
She included still photographs taken from the garden footage.
One showed Alessandro gripping Bianca’s arms.
Another showed the stool striking her legs.
Neither showed what happened immediately before.
Claire was furious.
Alessandro was worse.
“Release the video.”
“No.”
“Then she controls the story.”
“For a few days.”
“She’s lying.”
“Then we prove it where lying matters.”
In court.
Not online.
That distinction required more discipline than Alessandro enjoyed.
At the temporary hearing, the judge reviewed the complete footage privately.
The court declined to issue the broad order Bianca requested but imposed mutual no-contact conditions while the matter continued.
Because Livia had been present during the incident, child-services officials also requested information about her home environment.
Several of Alessandro’s advisers panicked.
“You cannot let government people into the estate.”
Alessandro looked around the conference table.
“Why?”
Nobody answered directly.
Everyone knew why.
Rizzano history.
Rizzano associates.
Rizzano business.
A child-safety review might ask questions nobody in the family wanted outsiders asking.
Dominic spoke first.
“This has nothing to do with Bianca anymore.”
“It has everything to do with her.”
“No. This is now about whether you expose your daughter to unnecessary scrutiny.”
Alessandro studied him.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You keep calling scrutiny dangerous.”
“It is.”
Alessandro thought of Livia saying Bianca made her ugly.
May you like
Maybe scrutiny was dangerous.
Maybe the absence of it had been more dangerous.
