Chapter 12
The confrontation happened in a conference room at the museum.
No children.
No capos.
No audience.
Only Luciano, Bernadette, Marcus, Claire, and attorneys.
Marcus looked exhausted.
Bernadette looked older.
Luciano placed copies of the old medical transfer and auction records on the table.
Marcus barely glanced at them.
“You want me to apologize?”
“No.”
Luciano sat back.
“I want you to stop pretending this started with antiques.”
Marcus looked toward Bernadette.
She did not meet his eyes.
Luciano continued.
“You took money meant for Felix.”
“I paid his bills.”
“You used the rest to save your company.”
“My company paid for our life.”
“You told your wife I refused to help.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
Bernadette finally spoke.
“Why?”
Marcus rubbed both hands across his face.
For several seconds nobody interrupted him.
Then he answered.
“Because I was ashamed.”
Bernadette stared at him.
Marcus had built his identity around being the provider.
When Felix became sick, Marcus’s company was collapsing.
Bernadette was terrified.
Luciano offered more money in one phone call than Marcus could produce in months.
“I couldn't go home and tell you Luciano saved us.”
“So you told me he abandoned us?”
“I told myself I’d replace the money.”
“You didn't.”
“No.”
“And later?”
Marcus looked at the auction files.
“Later I needed more.”
Bernadette’s voice became smaller.
“So you used me.”
Marcus reacted.
“I never thought of it like that.”
“How did you think of it?”
“As surviving.”
Bernadette laughed once.
“I slapped a four-year-old because of you.”
Marcus looked at her.
“No. You did that.”
The sentence was cruel.
It was also true.
Bernadette stood.
Luciano expected her to leave.
Instead she removed her wedding ring.
She set it beside the auction documents.
“I’ll cooperate.”
Marcus stared at the ring.
“You're destroying Felix’s family.”
Bernadette shook her head.
“No.”
May you like
Her voice broke.
“I’m finally stopping us from teaching him this is what family means.”
