Chapter 14
Dominic gave Valeria one final meeting.
Rebecca’s office.
Her attorney present.
No Lucian.
No Luca.
No mother.
No Ava.
Dominic placed the airport photograph between them.
Valeria looked at it.
“I hate that picture.”
“Because you were kissing him?”
“Because I know what happened five minutes later.”
“What?”
“I saw Margaret’s car.”
Dominic stared at her.
“So you knew immediately.”
“Yes.”
Valeria had called Lucian from the terminal.
That was how he knew Margaret possessed something dangerous before the launch.
He told Valeria to get the photograph.
They convinced themselves they only needed to stop Margaret from showing Dominic until Lucian moved money and destroyed certain records.
“Did you plan to hurt her?”
“No.”
“But you did.”
“Yes.”
“Ava?”
Valeria closed her eyes.
“I panicked.”
“You grabbed a three-year-old.”
“Yes.”
Dominic waited.
No excuses came.
That was probably the only mercy she had left to offer.
“I did love you,” she said.
Dominic looked at her.
“I believe you.”
She seemed surprised.
“That almost makes it worse.”
Her eyes filled.
“I know.”
Valeria slid a folder across the table.
It contained authorizations allowing access to one final investment account she had used to cover some of Lucian’s debts.
She was surrendering the money to the recovery process rather than forcing additional litigation over those funds.
Not enough to fix everything.
Enough to matter.
Dominic pushed the photograph toward her.
“You can keep that.”
She looked confused.
“I don’t need it anymore.”
“What happens now?”
“Our engagement is over.”
“I know.”
“You will not contact Ava directly.”
Valeria’s expression broke.
Dominic continued before emotion could become negotiation.
“When she’s older, if she wants to know you, that decision will not be made because you miss her.”
Valeria wiped her cheek.
“And your mother?”
“That isn’t mine to decide either.”
For years Dominic’s power had consisted of deciding outcomes.
Now the harder choice was refusing to control other people’s forgiveness.
Valeria picked up the photograph.
“What about Lucian?”
Dominic stood.
“The same thing that happens to everybody else.”
May you like
She looked at him.
“For once.”
