Chapter 8 - Victor Vale Comes Home

Nobody moved.

Victor stepped into the light.

Maria’s hand found Julian’s.

Damien stared at the man who had worn his father’s name.

Victor looked at him.

“You look like Alessandro.”

Damien’s voice was flat.

“You don’t.”

Victor smiled.

“Age is cruel.”

Maria whispered:

“You threatened my son.”

Victor looked at her.

“I gave you a choice.”

“You gave me terror.”

“And you obeyed.”

Damien stepped forward.

Victor’s smile widened.

“There he is.”

Maria grabbed Damien’s sleeve.

He stopped.

Victor looked at Vane.

“You told them too much.”

Vane stood.

“You came too late.”

“No.”

Victor looked around.

“I came exactly when Clara wanted me to.”

Clara froze.

Elena turned to her mother.

“What?”

Victor laughed.

“You still haven’t told them?”

Clara’s face changed.

Damien looked at her.

“Tell us what?”

Victor answered.

“Clara has been sending me money for eight years.”

Elena stared.

Maria looked at Clara.

Clara shook her head.

“Not for him.”

Victor smiled.

“But it reached me.”

Clara’s voice sharpened.

“I was paying the man who knew where you were.”

Damien frowned.

“Who?”

Victor’s smile disappeared.

Clara looked at Bell.

“Thomas.”

Bell closed his eyes.

Damien turned.

Bell whispered:

“I tracked Victor after he left.”

“For Clara.”

“Why?”

Clara answered.

“Because I knew one day Maria would come back.”

“And when she did, Victor would come for her.”

Maria stared.

“So you kept him close.”

“As close as money could.”

Victor laughed.

“She paid intermediaries.”

“She thought she was buying information.”

“She was buying time.”

Damien looked at Vane.

“And you?”

Vane said nothing.

Victor looked at him.

“Marcus wanted me dead.”

Vane’s expression hardened.

Victor continued.

“For years.”

“Because I was the only person who could prove he built the fraud.”

Vane snapped:

“You built it with me.”

Victor smiled.

“Exactly.”

Damien looked between them.

Two old men.

Two different kinds of fear.

The whole empire had been built around both.

Damien took out his phone.

Victor looked at it.

“Calling security?”

“No.”

“Police?”

“No.”

Victor seemed amused.

“Then who?”

Damien looked at Julian.

Julian nodded.

Damien pressed one button.

A voice answered on speaker.

“Mr. Vale?”

Damien said:

“He’s here.”

Victor’s smile faded.

Julian explained.

“Federal financial investigators.”

Vane went still.

Victor looked at Damien.

“You brought law enforcement into a family matter.”

Damien stared.

“My father tried to do the same.”

Victor’s face changed.

That landed.

Damien continued.

“You killed him before he could.”

Victor smiled again.

“You have no proof.”

Maria held up Alessandro’s notebook.

Victor shrugged.

“A dead man’s notes.”

Mr. Stern held up the recording.

Victor shook his head.

“A threat is not a murder.”

Bell stepped forward.

Victor looked at him.

Bell’s voice shook.

“I have the car.”

Everyone turned.

Victor’s face changed.

Damien frowned.

“What car?”

Bell swallowed.

“The one your grandfather died in.”

Victor stared.

Bell continued.

“Victor told me to destroy it after the crash.”

“I didn’t.”

“Where is it?”

“Storage outside Newark.”

“Original brake lines.”

“Original repair records.”

Victor’s jaw tightened.

Bell looked at Damien.

“And I have the invoice.”

“Victor paid for the brake work three days before Rafael Vale died.”

Victor lunged one step.

Security entered from both chapel doors.

Damien had called them earlier.

Victor stopped.

Vane looked toward the exit.

Two investigators appeared behind security.

Damien looked at Vane.

“You can leave.”

Vane almost smiled.

“With them.”

The smile disappeared.

The investigators approached.

Victor stared at Damien.

“You think this gives you your father back?”

Damien said nothing.

Victor continued.

“You think your mother coming home fixes sixteen years?”

Maria’s eyes filled.

Damien looked at her.

Then at Victor.

“No.”

Victor nodded.

“Good.”

Damien stepped closer.

“It gives me the truth.”

Victor’s eyes hardened.

Damien continued.

“And it takes my father’s name off you.”

For the first time, Victor looked afraid.

One investigator spoke.

“Victor Vale?”

Victor did not answer.

The investigator repeated it.

Victor finally said:

“Yes.”

Maria closed her eyes.

A simple word.

But it was the first time in sixteen years he had publicly admitted who he was.

The investigator turned to Marcus.

“Judge Vane?”

Vane stared at Damien.

“You have no idea what this will do to your company.”

Damien looked at him.

“I do.”

“It will make it mine again.”

Vane was escorted out.

Victor followed.

Before he reached the door, he turned.

“Elena.”

Everyone looked at her.

Victor smiled.

“Ask your mother who signed the second marriage certificate.”

Elena went pale.

Clara whispered:

“No.”

Damien looked at Maria.

Maria looked confused.

Julian’s face changed.

Victor left laughing.

Elena turned to her mother.

“What second marriage?”

Clara closed her eyes.

Damien stared.

Maria looked at Julian.

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Then Clara whispered:

“The one that made Victor legally part of the Rossi family.”