Chapter 11
Dominic did not confront Lucian immediately.
Ten years earlier, he would have.
He would have put the evidence on a table, demanded an answer, and mistaken whichever man remained standing at the end for the winner.
This time, he waited.
That choice cost him something.
Rumors spread.
Lucian’s supporters said Dominic had become paranoid.
Two senior associates threatened to leave unless Lucian was reinstated.
A major contractor suspended negotiations.
One of Dominic’s restaurants lost a private-event partnership because the client did not want to be involved in “internal instability.”
Dominic allowed the losses.
Margaret noticed.
“You’re not threatening anyone.”
“No.”
“Are you sick?”
Dominic almost laughed.
“No.”
She sat across from him in the breakfast room.
Ava colored between them.
“Then what changed?”
Dominic looked at his daughter.
“I’m tired of people obeying me because they think the alternative is worse.”
Margaret watched him.
“That sounds expensive.”
“It is.”
“Good.”
Dominic looked at her.
She shrugged.
“Cheap lessons don’t stick with you.”
Ava held up a drawing.
Three figures.
Grandma.
Daddy.
Ava.
Dominic noticed Valeria was absent.
He did not ask why.
Valeria had moved into her own apartment.
Through attorneys, she provided a complete statement about Lucian’s pressure and her own participation.
She did not minimize the shove.
She did not call Margaret confused.
She admitted the manipulation.
She also turned over private emails showing Lucian repeatedly threatening to expose the old nonprofit shortage.
Dominic’s engagement ended formally.
The diamond ring returned to his attorney.
He placed it in a safe and felt nothing.
That frightened him less than he expected.
Anthony’s review produced another uncomfortable truth.
Three years earlier, Dominic personally rejected a recommendation to limit Lucian’s surveillance authority.
Anthony had written:
Monitoring access should require dual approval for private residential areas.
Dominic had responded:
Too slow. Lucian handles it.
Dominic read his own email twice.
Then called Anthony.
“Why didn’t you push harder?”
Anthony answered carefully.
“Because you had already decided.”
“That shouldn’t have stopped you.”
“It usually did.”
Dominic looked away.
There was no point blaming people for being afraid of consequences he had taught them to expect.
“From now on, push.”
Anthony almost smiled.
“You may regret saying that.”
“I hope so.”
Dominic also reopened the four old employment cases.
Peter Dalton received a written acknowledgment that the evidence used against him had been compromised.
Dominic offered financial settlement discussions.
Peter did not thank him.
He should not have.
Correcting damage was not generosity.
It was repair.
Late that night, Dominic received a message from Lucian through his attorney.
ONE MEETING.
NO LAWYERS.
Dominic showed Margaret.
“What do you think?”
“I think men who hate witnesses usually have a reason.”
Dominic deleted the message.
May you like
His attorney scheduled the meeting instead.
Lawyers included.
