Chapter 6
Elena did not react to Victoria’s admission the way Dante expected.
She became angry with him.
“You keep telling me what Victoria knew.”
They were in Elena’s apartment after another prenatal appointment.
“What do you want me to tell you?”
“I want you to stop acting like you’re discovering betrayal from strangers.”
Dante stared at her.
“She was going to be your wife.”
“Yes.”
“Preston worked for you.”
“Yes.”
“They controlled who could reach you.”
Dante understood the accusation before she finished.
“And you let them.”
He looked toward the window.
Elena continued.
“You built a life where everybody had to go through somebody else to talk to you.”
Dante did not defend himself.
It would have been easy.
He ran companies.
People wanted his attention every hour.
Security mattered.
Privacy mattered.
But Elena had carried his child for months believing he wanted nothing to do with them because two people near him had enough control to create that reality.
That belonged partly to him.
“I should have been reachable.”
Elena’s expression softened slightly.
“Yeah.”
The baby moved.
She placed a hand against her stomach.
Dante watched.
“Can I?”
Elena hesitated.
Then nodded.
He felt the movement beneath his palm.
For several seconds, the investigation disappeared.
Then Elena said, “I’m not moving in with you.”
“I stopped asking.”
“You were going to ask again.”
Dante almost smiled.
“Probably.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
She looked at him.
“I want you involved. I’m not saying you can’t be his father.”
His.
Dante looked up.
“You know?”
Elena smiled faintly.
“Found out last week.”
“A boy?”
“Yes.”
Dante sat back slowly.
For the first time, the child became more than evidence of betrayal.
A son.
His son.
That evening Martin Cole called from the office.
The audit had found unauthorized guarantees tied to a private investment company.
The signatures belonged to Preston.
The guarantees relied on Caradonna assets.
“How much?”
“Potential exposure? Eighteen million.”
Dante went quiet.
“Did I approve them?”
“No.”
“Then how did he get them accepted?”
Martin hesitated.
“He represented that the Sloan family would become financially integrated with yours after the marriage.”
Dante stared at the wall.
The wedding was no longer just something Victoria wanted.
May you like
Preston had been using it to hold his own financial structure together.
And Elena’s pregnancy threatened to force every piece of Dante’s estate and business planning back under review.
