Chapter 8
The irreversible decision came ten days after the gala.
Rebecca had traced enough of the money to justify litigation.
Roman could have handled the rest privately.
That was what every senior man in his organization recommended.
Freeze Helena’s accounts.
Recover what could be recovered.
Remove her from family decisions.
Keep prosecutors and civil courts away from D’Angelo financial records.
Roman listened.
Then he did the opposite.
He authorized Rebecca to file a civil fraud action against Helena and the entities that handled the diverted support.
He also referred suspected forged documents and financial misconduct to outside authorities.
The filings would expose parts of Roman’s personal financial structure to scrutiny.
Possibly more.
Rebecca warned him before they signed.
“Once this goes out, we don’t decide which questions investigators ask.”
“I understand.”
“Family office transactions may be reviewed.”
“Yes.”
“You may be asked about unrelated transfers.”
“Yes.”
Nora watched him.
Roman signed.
The room stayed silent afterward.
No thunder.
No dramatic consequence.
Just ink.
But everyone understood what changed.
The D’Angelos had spent generations solving problems by making sure outsiders never saw the books.
Roman had opened them because the books contained evidence about his daughter.
Within forty-eight hours, several family members were furious.
One capo accused him of choosing Nora over the organization.
Roman corrected him.
“I chose Sophie.”
“That distinction won’t matter if half the family office gets audited.”
“It matters to me.”
Helena reacted through counsel.
She denied theft.
She claimed every dollar had been used for legitimate family and child-protection purposes.
That wording caught Rebecca’s attention.
Child protection.
Not Nora’s support.
Not Sophie’s living expenses.
Child protection.
Helena was beginning to admit she had redirected the money.
The remaining question was what she believed she was protecting Sophie from.
May you like
Roman suspected the answer.
He still did not know how deliberate the whole design had been.
