Chapter 11
Dante did not hit Adrian again.
He wanted to.
That was exactly why he did not.
Violence would have made the next five minutes about Dante instead of what Adrian had done.
Rebecca arranged separate counsel for every legitimate company affected by the fraud.
The Arts Fund froze payments.
Civil claims were prepared.
Records were preserved for law enforcement because some conduct crossed beyond private accounting disputes.
Adrian’s attorneys advised cooperation.
Victoria’s did the same.
Neither received a magical escape for confessing late.
Their cooperation mattered.
It did not erase years of choices.
The Moretti family reacted as Dante expected.
Several relatives wanted the matter settled privately.
Return the money.
Remove Adrian.
Pay Victoria to disappear.
Protect the name.
Dante refused.
Grace had found the fraud because she believed money donated in her daughter’s name should actually reach the children it was intended to help.
Turning her discovery into another secret settlement would have repeated the exact betrayal.
Adrian came to Dante once without lawyers.
Security stopped him outside.
Dante eventually went down.
They stood on opposite sides of the gate.
Adrian looked exhausted.
“I never planned for Victoria to marry you.”
“You introduced us.”
“I thought you’d have dinner twice and lose interest.”
“That makes it better?”
“No.”
Adrian rubbed a hand across his face.
“Then you liked her.”
“And?”
“She liked you too.”
Dante stared at him.
Adrian continued.
“That was when everything got worse.”
“No.”
Dante’s voice stayed calm.
“It got worse every time one of you had a chance to tell me and decided tomorrow would be easier.”
Adrian lowered his head.
“I know.”
May you like
Dante believed he did.
It changed nothing yet.
