Chapter 12
Alessandro stared at the collateral documents.
His home.
Livia’s home.
The house Sofia had chosen.
Matteo had pledged it through a holding company Alessandro controlled but rarely reviewed.
Technically, Alessandro’s earlier broad authorization had made the transaction possible.
He had signed the authority years ago.
Matteo had used it.
Again.
Alessandro looked across the table.
“You put my daughter’s home behind your debt.”
“Our debt.”
“No.”
His voice stayed quiet.
“Yours became mine because you hid it.”
Matteo's eyes hardened.
“You enjoyed not knowing.”
That sentence landed.
Alessandro did not deny it.
For years, Matteo handled details Alessandro found tedious.
Financing.
Contracts.
Vendor negotiations.
Household schedules after Sofia became sick.
Alessandro had called it trust.
Matteo called it leadership.
In reality, both men benefited from the arrangement until the consequences reached Livia.
“You're right.”
Matteo looked surprised.
Alessandro continued.
“I enjoyed not knowing.”
A pause.
“That ends today.”
The Rizzano companies entered an emergency restructuring.
Assets would be sold.
Projects delayed.
The residence protected if possible, but not by hiding anything else.
Alessandro’s senior capos hated the uncertainty.
One asked:
“You’re really tearing apart the structure over what Bianca did to a child’s hair?”
Alessandro’s eyes slowly moved toward him.
The man immediately regretted the question.
Alessandro answered anyway.
“No.”
He placed Sofia’s voice memo transcript on the table.
“I’m tearing apart a structure where everyone decided I was too important to hear the truth.”
Nobody spoke after that.
Bianca requested one private meeting before leaving the estate.
Alessandro allowed it with the door open.
She stood without jewelry.
Without the gown.
Without the confidence she had worn that morning.
“Would you have married me if Matteo hadn't pushed us together?”
Alessandro looked at her.
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled.
For a second, hope appeared.
Then he continued.
“That doesn't mean I should have.”
Hope disappeared.
Bianca looked toward the nursery.
“Can I apologize to Livia?”
“No.”
“Ever?”
“That is not mine to promise you.”
Bianca nodded.
Then she reached into her handbag.
She placed a small envelope on the table.
“Then give this to Rosalie.”
Alessandro frowned.
“What is it?”
Bianca left without answering.
Rosalie opened it later.
Inside were six months of handwritten notes about Livia.
Punishments.
Meals withheld.
Locked-room times.
Hair incidents.
May you like
Every one documented in Bianca’s handwriting.
At the bottom of several pages were Matteo’s initials.
