Chapter 1 - The Paper in Leo’s Hand
“DAD!”
The scream cut through the Romano family barbecue.
Dante turned so fast his glass slipped from his hand.
Across the lawn, eighteen-month-old Leo was on the grass.
And Dante’s mother was standing over him.
Patricia Romano had one fist twisted into the back of the toddler’s blue polo shirt while her other hand clawed for a folded piece of paper Leo had somehow gotten hold of.
“Give that to me!”
Leo screamed again.
Patricia reached down.
Dante was already running.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!”
He hit Patricia’s arm away and pulled her backward.
She stumbled.
Dante immediately scooped Leo up.
His son clung to his chest, shaking.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Patricia stared past him.
Not at Leo.
At the paper.
“Dante, give me that.”
The entire backyard had gone silent.
Forty relatives stood around long barbecue tables covered in ribs, burgers, pasta salads, and half-filled glasses.
Patricia forced a laugh.
“The baby took something from my purse.”
“You pulled him down over a piece of paper?”
“You’re exaggerating.”
Dante’s expression hardened.
“I watched you do it.”
Leo was still gripping the folded page.
His little fingers refused to release it.
Dante gently touched his hand.
“Daddy’s got you.”
Leo whimpered.
“Da-da.”
Dante took the paper.
Patricia moved toward him.
“Don’t.”
Dante looked at her.
That single word stopped her.
He unfolded the page.
At first, he only saw a bank logo.
Then an address.
The Romano mansion.
His house.
Then he saw a number.
$4,800,000.
Dante frowned.
His eyes moved lower.
AUTHORIZED BORROWER: DANTE ROMANO.
His stomach tightened.
He had never borrowed $4.8 million.
Then he reached the signature.
His signature.
Except he hadn’t signed it.
Dante slowly looked up.
Patricia had gone white.
“What is this?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Four-point-eight million dollars is nothing?”
Family members began murmuring.
Patricia stepped closer.
“Give it to me. We’ll discuss this privately.”
Dante looked back down.
The loan had been secured against the mansion.
The house his father had left entirely to him.
And beside Dante’s forged signature was another name.
PATRICIA ROMANO — ATTORNEY-IN-FACT.
Dante’s jaw clenched.
“I never gave you power of attorney.”
Patricia said nothing.
“You forged my name.”
“That is not what happened.”
Dante stepped toward her.
Leo remained tucked safely against his shoulder.
“Then tell me what happened.”
Patricia’s eyes darted toward the watching relatives.
She hated audiences she couldn’t control.
“You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Dante almost laughed.
“No, Mom.”
He held up the paper.
“You attacked an eighteen-month-old because he found something you were terrified I’d read.”
Patricia’s composure finally cracked.
“Dante—”
“What did you do with $4.8 million?”
Silence.
Then Dante’s younger cousin Michael spoke from behind the barbecue table.
“Dante…”
Everyone looked at him.
Michael had worked in the accounting department of Romano Foods for nine years.
His face looked sick.
“There’s something you need to know.”
Patricia snapped toward him.
“Don’t you dare.”
Dante stared at Michael.
“What?”
Michael swallowed.
“That isn’t the only loan.”
May you like
And suddenly Patricia wasn’t trying to save herself from one forged document.
She was trying to stop Dante from discovering how much of his life she had already put in her name.
