Chapter 8 - Marcus Vale Was Protecting a Secret Bianca Never Knew
Marcus Vale sat in a private clinic.
Bandage on his arm.
Two investigators outside.
Bianca entered first.
Adrian followed.
Marcus looked at his daughter.
Then at Adrian.
“I assume Matteo talked.”
Adrian nodded.
Marcus sighed.
“He always did when frightened.”
Bianca stared.
“Who were you working for?”
Marcus looked at her.
“No one.”
Adrian said:
“Wrong answer.”
Marcus looked at him.
“I was not working for Matteo.”
“I know.”
“Or your grandfather.”
“I know.”
Bianca’s voice shook.
“Then who?”
Marcus looked at his daughter.
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Bianca froze.
“My mother is dead.”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”
“Ten years.”
“Yes.”
He opened a drawer.
One envelope.
Bianca’s mother’s handwriting.
She recognized it.
Her hands shook.
Marcus said:
“She discovered Gideon’s role before she died.”
Bianca stared.
“My grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“She made me promise to expose everything.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Because I was a coward.”
Adrian looked at him.
Marcus continued.
“I wanted to protect Vale Capital.”
Bianca’s face hardened.
“You used her promise to justify hiding the truth.”
“Yes.”
“I visited Adrian’s parents because you told me to.”
“Yes.”
“You told me we were helping them.”
“Yes.”
“You were delaying them.”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”
Bianca started crying.
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
Marcus did not defend himself.
Adrian noticed.
Marcus continued.
“But the acquisition was not only for money.”
Adrian folded his arms.
“Then what?”
“Control.”
“Of what?”
“The old accounts.”
Adrian stared.
Marcus continued.
“If Vale Capital acquired the Russo companies, I could freeze the legacy accounts from inside the new structure.”
Adrian looked at him.
“You were trying to trap the money.”
“Yes.”
“Without telling me.”
“Yes.”
“Using forged authorization.”
Marcus lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
Bianca laughed bitterly.
“You became the thing Mom hated.”
Marcus looked destroyed.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Adrian asked:
“Why use Bianca’s signature?”
“I did not.”
Bianca looked up.
“What?”
Marcus shook his head.
“I never created that transfer agreement.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Then who did?”
Marcus looked toward the door.
“Samuel.”
Silence.
Adrian stared.
“The banker?”
“Yes.”
Bianca whispered:
“No.”
Marcus continued.
“Samuel has been handling the old Russo and Vale trusts for decades.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“He knew box 902.”
“Yes.”
“He knew both families.”
“Yes.”
“He knew the access logs.”
“Yes.”
Marcus nodded.
“And he knew exactly how to make me look guilty.”
Adrian stood.
Bianca said:
“Why would Samuel do that?”
Marcus answered:
“Because the accounts were never only Victor’s and Gideon’s.”
Adrian stared.
Marcus continued.
“Samuel owned part of them.”
Silence.
Adrian remembered the ballroom.
Samuel bringing the photograph.
Samuel revealing every secret.
Samuel controlling the pace.
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“He did not come to expose the truth.”
Marcus shook his head.
“He came to control which truth you saw.”
Adrian immediately called Daniel.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
He called the hotel.
Security answered.
“Mr. Russo?”
“Where are my parents?”
A pause.
“Sir.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“Where are they?”
“They left fifteen minutes ago.”
“With whom?”
“Mr. Ford.”
Silence.
Bianca stood.
Adrian whispered:
“Samuel.”
Then another call came through.
Unknown number.
Adrian answered.
Samuel’s voice.
Calm.
“Now you understand.”
Adrian stared.
“Where are they?”
“Safe.”
“You have five seconds.”
Samuel laughed softly.
“You sound like Victor.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
Samuel continued.
“That should worry you.”
“Where are my parents?”
“Where this began.”
Adrian knew immediately.
“Box 902.”
Samuel said:
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