Chapter 4
Dominic suspended Lucian from every operational role before midnight.
The consequences began before sunrise.
A transportation vendor refused to release three contracted vehicles because Lucian had been the only authorized contact.
Two security teams showed up at the wrong properties.
A restaurant supplier claimed an unpaid balance nobody in Dominic’s accounting office recognized.
Three senior associates called within an hour asking why Lucian’s access had disappeared.
Dominic answered the same way each time.
“Internal review.”
Nobody liked that answer.
Lucian had spent twelve years making himself necessary.
Dominic had mistaken dependence for competence.
At eight that morning, Dominic summoned his chief accountant, Rebecca Sloan, and an outside technology firm.
He gave them one instruction.
“Assume I may have approved things I don’t remember approving.”
Rebecca looked uncomfortable.
“You want us reviewing your authorizations too?”
“Yes.”
“Dominic, that could expose—”
“Everything.”
She stopped.
He understood the significance.
For years, Dominic’s employees had learned to bring him conclusions, not problems.
He hated delays.
He hated uncertainty.
Lucian excelled at removing both.
If something needed approval, Lucian summarized it.
If someone complained, Lucian resolved it.
If a vendor failed, Lucian replaced them.
Dominic rarely asked how.
Now he wondered whether that had been exactly what Lucian wanted.
Margaret came downstairs with Ava after breakfast.
The little girl carried her rabbit without stuffing.
Margaret had placed the empty fabric shell inside a pillowcase so Ava could hold it.
“Daddy, Bunny is skinny.”
Dominic crouched.
“We’re going to fix him.”
Ava held the rabbit toward him.
“Can Grandma fix him?”
Margaret looked at Dominic.
The question should have been simple.
It was not.
For months, Dominic had allowed Valeria to make his mother feel like a visitor.
Ava still saw Margaret as the person who fixed things.
“Yes,” Dominic said.
Margaret nodded.
No smile.
Trust did not return because he finally said one correct word.
After Ava left the room, Margaret placed something on the table.
A small notebook.
“What’s that?”
“I started writing things down three months ago.”
Dominic opened it.
Dates.
Conversations.
Times Valeria claimed Margaret had forgotten something.
Times Margaret later found the supposedly forgotten item somewhere else.
A scarf moved from the coat closet to a guest bedroom.
A birthday invitation Margaret had allegedly misplaced appearing beneath Valeria’s desk blotter.
A restaurant reservation changed after Margaret confirmed it.
“You knew they were doing this?”
“I knew something was wrong.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Margaret stared at him.
“I did.”
Dominic looked down.
She was right.
Margaret had told him Valeria was trying to make her look confused.
Dominic accused her of being jealous.
The memory made his stomach turn.
Margaret continued.
“So I stopped arguing.”
“You started documenting.”
“I spent thirty years watching men in this family deny things until someone brought dates.”
Dominic almost smiled.
He did not deserve to.
Anthony entered.
“We traced the recorder.”
Dominic stood.
“Where?”
“The serial number was registered through Knox Strategic Security.”
Lucian’s company.
Dominic expected that.
Then Anthony added:
“The purchase order was authorized under your name.”
Dominic stared at him.
“When?”
“Fourteen months ago.”
“Before I was engaged to Valeria.”
“Yes.”
“Did I sign it?”
Anthony handed him the authorization.
Dominic recognized the signature.
His.
The request covered “counter-surveillance devices and discreet internal monitoring equipment” following threats against one of Dominic’s businesses.
Dominic remembered approving it.
He had told Lucian:
Do whatever you need to do. I don’t want to hear about every camera and microphone.
Dominic sat slowly.
Margaret read his face.
“What?”
He handed her the document.
She read it.
Then looked at her son.
“You opened the door.”
Dominic nodded.
“Yes.”
May you like
Lucian had walked through it.
But Dominic had opened it.
