Chapter 14
The Moretti charity board met in the same courtyard where the rally had taken place.
The motorcycles were gone.
So were the leather racks and helmet displays.
Only stone, winter trees, and folding tables remained.
Raffaele could have chaired the meeting.
He declined.
Helen Ward did.
Grant attended with counsel.
Vanessa attended separately.
Adrian was not invited.
Raffaele insisted on that.
“He’s a child,” he told Caroline. “He already did enough.”
The audit findings were summarized.
Grant had diverted money through inflated and fabricated vendor expenses.
Vanessa had knowingly helped conceal later irregularities and had participated in a staged confrontation intended to discredit Adrian.
Matteo’s earlier concealment was also included.
Raffaele refused to clean his dead brother’s name by removing uncomfortable facts.
When the time came for Grant to speak, he offered repayment again.
Full repayment.
Interest.
Legal fees.
He even offered to surrender future event contracts.
Then he looked at Raffaele.
“We can end this today.”
Raffaele knew what he meant.
Keep it internal.
Preserve the family reputation.
Let money substitute for accountability.
Vanessa surprised everyone.
“No.”
Grant turned.
She looked at her brother.
“You’ve been making me pay you back for saving me when we were kids my entire life.”
His face changed.
“That’s not fair.”
“No.”
She wiped beneath one eye.
“What I did to Lily wasn’t fair.”
Grant stared at her.
Vanessa continued.
“I chose it. You didn’t make me. But I’m done letting loyalty mean I have to help you hurt other people.”
Grant looked toward Raffaele.
“You taking advice from her now?”
Raffaele shook his head.
“No.”
He slid his signed resignation from temporary control of the charity’s investigation across the table.
“I’m letting the board do its job.”
Helen called the vote.
Grant’s contracts were terminated where legally permitted, recovery proceedings authorized, and the audit referred according to counsel’s recommendations.
Vanessa was permanently removed from every charity role.
Raffaele remained off the board until the governance review of his own oversight failures concluded.
Grant stared at him.
“You’re letting outsiders decide what happens to your family.”
Raffaele looked around the courtyard.
“No.”
May you like
Helen announced the vote.
“I’m finally letting my family live under the same rules as everybody else.”
