Chapter 8
Rocco made the decision the following morning.
It cost him more than postponing a wedding.
He canceled it completely.
Then he removed Marcus from every fiduciary role connected to his personal estate and Noah.
Marcus was also suspended from senior authority inside Caruso Holdings pending an independent review.
Finally, Rocco did something his own family considered far more dangerous.
He authorized an outside forensic accounting firm and independent trust counsel to review every legitimate Caruso entity touched by Marcus during the previous three years.
His attorney warned him what that meant.
“You may discover things you cannot quietly put back.”
“That’s why we’re doing it.”
“You could trigger lender issues.”
“I know.”
“Tax questions.”
“I know.”
“Civil litigation.”
“I know.”
“And if Marcus mixed legitimate funds with anything else—”
Rocco looked at her.
“Then I want to know before my son inherits it.”
The old version of Rocco would have solved the problem internally.
That was exactly what Marcus expected.
Family protects family.
Records stay private.
Problems become conversations.
Instead, Rocco opened the books.
Within hours Marcus called.
“You’re destroying us.”
Rocco answered from Noah’s playroom.
“No.”
He watched his son fitting wooden shapes into a board.
“I’m finding out what you built.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“You think Victoria is innocent?”
“No.”
“You think she didn’t want this?”
“No.”
“Then why am I the one you’re gutting?”
Rocco’s voice remained calm.
“Because my three-year-old son heard both of you.”
He ended the call.
Across the room, Noah looked up.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Victoria coming?”
Rocco paused.
“No.”
“Why?”
He walked over and sat on the carpet.
“Because she did something wrong.”
Noah touched his hearing aid.
“She broke it.”
“I know.”
The child thought for a moment.
“Maria fixed me.”
Rocco felt something twist inside his chest.
He corrected him immediately.
“No.”
Noah looked confused.
“Maria gave you another hearing aid.”
Rocco touched his son’s shoulder.
May you like
“You were never broken.”
That distinction became the center of everything Rocco did next.
