Chapter 4 - The Illness That Never Existed

Matteo stared at his father.

“Peter lied.”

Antonio nodded.

“About the cancer.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Jonathan answered.

“To make you think Victor had no reason to keep fighting.”

Matteo looked at him.

Antonio continued.

“Victor wants one last transfer.”

“What transfer?”

Antonio pointed at the red notebook.

“The family trust.”

Matteo frowned.

“That trust is mine.”

“Not completely.”

Matteo looked up.

Antonio sat down.

“When you were seventeen, I still controlled it.”

“Yes.”

“When I disappeared, Victor became temporary trustee.”

“Temporary?”

“Yes.”

Matteo laughed once.

“He never mentioned that.”

Antonio nodded.

“He was required to return control when you turned twenty-five.”

Matteo stared.

“I was chairman at twenty-five.”

“Not of the trust.”

Matteo’s face changed.

Jonathan whispered:

“Victor kept that separate.”

Antonio nodded.

“The trust owns land, port rights, old insurance policies, and voting shares.”

Matteo looked at him.

“How much?”

Antonio said:

“Enough to control half the legitimate business.”

Serena stared.

Matteo stood.

“And Victor still controls it?”

“Technically.”

“How?”

Antonio looked at him.

“Because I am alive.”

Matteo stopped.

Antonio continued.

“My death was never legally confirmed.”

Matteo frowned.

“You were declared missing.”

“Yes.”

“Then presumed dead.”

“Civilly.”

Jonathan understood first.

“But the trust language.”

Antonio nodded.

“Requires either my verified death or my signature.”

Matteo stared.

“So Victor cannot transfer it.”

“Not without me.”

Serena whispered:

“Or without making Antonio legally dead.”

Everyone looked at her.

Antonio nodded.

“That is what Peter was trying to determine.”

Matteo’s jaw tightened.

“Whether you could be brought back.”

“Yes.”

“Or killed.”

Silence.

Antonio did not answer.

He did not need to.

Harold sat down slowly.

“Why now?”

Antonio looked at Matteo.

“Because of Serena.”

She went pale.

Matteo turned.

“What does she have to do with the trust?”

Jonathan closed his eyes.

Serena stared at her father.

“Dad?”

Jonathan did not answer.

Matteo saw.

“Of course.”

He laughed quietly.

“There is another thing.”

Jonathan looked exhausted.

“Yes.”

Matteo turned toward Serena.

“Did you know?”

She shook her head quickly.

“No.”

Jonathan said:

“The Cole family owns an old minority interest in the DeMarco river properties.”

Matteo frowned.

“How?”

“Your grandfather used our company to acquire land decades ago.”

Antonio continued.

“The shares were never unwound.”

Jonathan nodded.

“If Matteo marries Serena, certain succession clauses combine.”

Matteo looked at Serena.

Her face had gone blank.

“No.”

Jonathan said:

“You did not know.”

She turned on him.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

Jonathan looked down.

“Four months.”

Matteo laughed bitterly.

“Perfect.”

Serena stared at her father.

“You let me plan an anniversary ball while this existed?”

Jonathan whispered:

“I was trying to verify whether it still mattered.”

“It mattered enough not to tell me.”

“Yes.”

Matteo looked at Antonio.

“So Victor wants the trust.”

“Yes.”

“He needs your signature.”

“Yes.”

“And Serena’s family connection helps consolidate the river properties.”

Jonathan nodded.

Matteo stared at Serena.

She looked like she might be sick.

“I swear I did not know.”

Matteo looked at her for a long time.

Then nodded once.

“I believe you.”

She almost cried from relief.

“But you did know my father was alive.”

Her face fell.

“Yes.”

“That still happened.”

“Yes.”

Antonio watched them.

Then said:

“There is more.”

Matteo turned.

Antonio took out a second envelope.

Inside was an old photograph.

Victor.

Jonathan.

Peter Russo.

And a fourth man.

Matteo stared.

“My father’s lawyer.”

Antonio nodded.

“Thomas Vale.”

Matteo frowned.

“He died ten years ago.”

Jonathan looked at Antonio.

Antonio said:

“No.”

Harold whispered:

“Not again.”

Antonio almost smiled.

Then shook his head.

“No. He really died.”

Nobody laughed.

Antonio continued.

“Before he died, he sent me a copy of the trust amendment.”

Matteo looked at the paper.

At the bottom was Victor’s signature.

And Peter Russo’s.

Witness.

Matteo stared.

“Peter has been inside this from the beginning.”

“Yes.”

His phone rang.

Unknown number.

Matteo answered.

Peter Russo’s voice.

“Mr. DeMarco.”

Matteo went still.

Peter continued.

“I assume you found your father.”

Matteo looked at Antonio.

“Yes.”

“Then you also know Victor wants the trust.”

“Yes.”

Peter sighed.

“Good.”

Matteo frowned.

“Good?”

“I am tired of pretending.”

Silence.

Peter continued.

“Your uncle is not at the mansion.”

Matteo looked at Jonathan.

“Where is he?”

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Peter answered:

“On his way to Arizona.”