Chapter 12 - Alessandro’s Audit
Carlo had hidden the audit in the basement of an unfinished Russo property.
Why?
Insurance.
Against Viola.
“Mom always protected me,” Carlo told prosecutors.
“But I knew one day she might blame everything on me.”
The audit was devastating.
Alessandro had traced unauthorized transfers years earlier than anyone knew.
He had identified both Carlo and Viola.
He planned to remove Carlo from management.
Require Viola to repay funds.
Create the Luca trust.
And restructure the board.
Then Alessandro died suddenly from a stroke.
Natural causes.
No conspiracy.
No secret murder.
Just terrible timing.
But his death gave Viola an opportunity.
She removed the audit from his office.
Fired Thomas Bellini.
Misrepresented the estate plan.
And spent eighteen months trying to regain control of the shares Alessandro had placed beyond her reach.
Elena read the report in silence.
Finally she said:
“So everything started because Alessandro refused to keep rescuing Carlo.”
Matteo nodded.
“And my mother couldn’t accept it.”
Carlo negotiated cooperation.
He admitted his financial misconduct.
The forged documents.
The intimidation plan.
And Viola’s instructions before the party.
His cooperation would affect sentencing.
It would not erase what he had done.
Matteo insisted on that.
“I don’t want revenge.”
He told the prosecutor.
“I want Luca protected.”
Viola refused every plea offer.
Her attorney begged her to reconsider.
She wouldn’t.
“She thinks the family name will save her,” Samuel said.
Matteo looked through the conference-room window.
“For most of her life, it did.”
The criminal case moved forward.
So did the annual shareholder meeting.
For the first time, Matteo and Elena exercised Luca’s fifty-one-percent vote.
Carlo was removed from the board.
Three directors connected to Viola resigned.
An independent chair was elected.
And every major family-controlled account was placed under external review.
Elena expected Matteo to take over.
He didn’t.
“You’re not becoming CEO?”
“No.”
“But everyone expects you to.”
Matteo smiled slightly.
“That’s exactly why I shouldn’t.”
He chose an experienced outside executive instead.
Elena studied him.
“What do you want?”
May you like
Matteo looked toward Luca.
“To be his father.”
