Chapter 2
Rebecca arrived with two associates before midnight.
She read the agreement in silence.
Then she asked Matteo for his legitimate estate documents.
The real continuity plan looked nothing like the one Viola had given Elena.
Matteo’s official plan had been revised after Luca’s birth.
If Matteo died or became incapacitated, his voting interests in Rinaldi Holdings would pass into a trust for Luca.
Elena would serve as co-trustee with an independent trust company.
Carlo would remain an operating executive if the board retained him, but he would not control Luca’s shares.
Viola had no guardianship role.
Rebecca placed the two documents side by side.
“This one is real.”
She tapped Matteo’s estate plan.
“This one borrows language from it.”
She tapped Viola’s packet.
“But changes who holds authority.”
Elena looked at Matteo.
“Carlo.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca continued.
“If you had signed this?”
Elena asked.
“It would not automatically override a court on custody or medical competency.”
Rebecca turned another page.
“But it could create a written delegation that Carlo and Viola might later argue reflected your voluntary wishes.”
“For how long?”
“As drafted? Until the stated incapacity ended.”
“And who decides that?”
Rebecca pointed to another clause.
A physician selected from a “family-approved medical panel.”
Matteo’s expression hardened.
“There is no family medical panel.”
“Correct.”
Rebecca looked toward him.
“Someone was building one.”
She found the drafting metadata through the electronic copy Elena had received.
The document had not come from Matteo’s law firm.
It came from a boutique corporate practice that represented Carlo’s outside business interests.
Matteo called his own estate lawyer.
The man answered from bed.
He had never authorized the packet.
Never reviewed it.
Never advised Viola or Carlo to approach Elena.
The packet was unauthorized.
That still did not answer why they wanted it.
Rebecca looked at Matteo.
“When did your new trust structure become effective?”
“Luca’s birth.”
“Completely?”
Matteo thought.
“No.”
A final administrative certification remained outstanding because the trust company needed updated family-company schedules.
Rebecca looked interested.
“What kind?”
“Related-party obligations. Outstanding guarantees. Material debt.”
Elena watched her.
“Why?”
“Because the independent trustee needs to understand what it may inherit responsibility for.”
Rebecca closed the false packet.
“If someone preferred the old system, Luca’s birth created a problem.”
Matteo’s phone rang.
His corporate secretary.
The secretary had heard about the incident and wanted to know whether the council resolution from that afternoon was still active.
Matteo frowned.
“What resolution?”
Silence.
“Carlo’s interim authority resolution.”
Matteo looked toward Elena.
The council meeting he had stepped out of minutes before seeing Luca over the fire had not been about routine business.
May you like
Carlo had put a document into circulation giving himself expanded emergency control over Rinaldi Holdings.
Matteo had never gotten far enough into the meeting to read it.
