Chapter 7
The first former manager agreed to meet because Margaret called him.
Dominic was irritated when he learned that.
Then he realized why Margaret had done it.
The man, Peter Dalton, had refused Dominic’s calls.
“He thinks you ruined his career,” Margaret said.
“Did I?”
“You signed the termination.”
Dominic said nothing.
Peter met them at a quiet diner in Westchester.
He had managed vendor compliance for eight years.
Two years earlier, Lucian accused him of leaking confidential pricing to a competitor.
Dominic terminated him within twenty-four hours.
Peter had denied everything.
Dominic remembered telling him:
If Lucian says he has proof, he has proof.
Now Peter placed an old laptop on the table.
“I kept everything.”
Emails showed Peter had actually been investigating irregular security invoices from three companies connected to Knox Strategic Security.
He contacted Lucian first.
Two weeks later, the leak allegation appeared.
“What was the evidence against you?” Dominic asked.
Peter laughed.
“You never showed me.”
Dominic looked down.
That was true.
He had never asked to see it himself.
The second former manager had a similar story.
She questioned duplicate consulting fees.
Within a month, Lucian accused her of sharing internal schedules improperly.
The third admitted he had actually made errors.
The fourth had been pressured after opposing a contract Lucian wanted.
The pattern was not perfect.
That made it more believable.
Lucian did not fabricate every problem.
He used real weaknesses when available.
When they were not available, he created doubt.
Margaret.
Valeria.
Employees.
Dominic.
Same method.
Anthony found another detail.
Lucian had requested access to Dominic’s private calendar, citing security needs.
That gave him advance notice of every family dinner, business meeting, therapy appointment after Dominic’s wife died, and Ava’s childcare schedule.
“He knew when I was tired,” Dominic said.
“When you were busy,” Anthony added.
“When I’d approve things quickly.”
“Yes.”
Dominic felt something close to humiliation.
For decades, he considered himself the most observant man in any room.
Lucian had not needed to fool him constantly.
He simply learned when Dominic did not want to observe.
Margaret watched her son process it.
“You always hated details.”
“I hired people for details.”
“You hired people so details couldn’t bother you.”
Dominic looked at her.
She shrugged.
“Different thing.”
Back at the mansion, Ava ran toward Margaret.
“Grandma!”
Margaret lifted her carefully.
Ava held up the repaired rabbit.
A new seam crossed its back.
“Bunny has a scar.”
Margaret kissed the toy.
“So do plenty of good things.”
Ava considered that.
Then she touched Margaret’s hand where a bruise from Valeria’s shove had darkened along the wrist.
“You have one too.”
Margaret smiled.
“Mine will go away.”
Dominic watched them.
He hoped the same was true of everything else.
That evening Rebecca brought a new report.
Lucian had earned generous compensation.
But over three years, Knox Strategic Security had also received millions through contracts Dominic’s companies awarded without competitive review.
Some services were real.
Some were overpriced.
Several were impossible to verify.
“Is he stealing?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Not enough proof yet.”
Dominic nodded.
“Then don’t call it stealing.”
Rebecca looked surprised.
Three days earlier Dominic would have.
May you like
He was learning the difference between certainty and anger.
Slowly.
