Chapter 3 - The Signatures That Should Not Exist
Dominic returned to New York the following evening.
He expected paperwork.
He expected lawyers.
He expected another argument with hotel investors.
He did not expect to find his mother waiting in his private study.
Margaret sat beside the window with her handbag on her lap.
Dominic loosened his tie.
"Mom?"
She stood.
"You look exhausted."
"So do you."
He kissed her cheek.
For a moment she almost told him everything.
The ledger.
The key.
Peter Voss.
Lucian.
Then she remembered Angelo's exact warning.
Do not give this to Dominic unless you are certain that someone is willing to hurt this family to get it.
Suspicion was not certainty.
Margaret had spent thirty-nine years protecting her son from unnecessary fear.
Old habits were difficult to break.
"Lucian brought me trust papers," she said.
Dominic sighed.
"He mentioned them."
"You approved them?"
"Not exactly. He said legal needed administrative updates."
"Did he tell you those updates give him my voting rights?"
Dominic stopped removing his cuff link.
"What?"
Margaret handed him the documents.
He read page seventeen.
His expression hardened.
"I didn't authorize this."
"Then why did he tell me you did?"
"I'll ask him."
"Dominic, there is more."
The study door opened.
Lucian entered.
He smiled when he saw Margaret.
"Perfect. Both of you are here."
Dominic held up the documents.
"Explain page seventeen."
Lucian did not hesitate.
"Temporary continuity provision."
"Why does temporary continuity give you control over my mother's shares?"
"It doesn't give me control. It allows me to vote them if Margaret is unavailable."
"I am available," Margaret said.
Lucian looked at her with practiced patience.
"Of course."
Something about the tone made Dominic glance at him.
Lucian opened a leather portfolio.
"We've had concerns about shareholder responsiveness. The banks want clear succession mechanisms."
"Then they can ask me," Dominic said.
"They did. Three months ago."
Dominic frowned.
Lucian removed another document.
"Your mother already approved the preliminary version."
Margaret stared at it.
"That's not possible."
Lucian placed it on the desk.
Her signature appeared at the bottom.
Margaret went pale.
Dominic looked at her.
"Mom?"
"I never signed that."
Lucian's expression became sympathetic.
"Margaret."
"I did not sign it."
Lucian sighed.
"It happened after the foundation dinner in May."
"I wasn't at the foundation dinner in May."
"You were."
Margaret turned toward Dominic.
"I was in Connecticut with your aunt."
Dominic remembered.
Or thought he remembered.
His schedule had been chaos that month.
He picked up the document.
The signature looked real.
Margaret's handwriting had always been distinctive.
This matched almost perfectly.
Lucian produced another page.
Then another.
Three signatures.
Three authorizations.
Margaret shook her head.
"All forged."
Lucian lowered his voice.
"No one is accusing you of anything."
"You just accused me of forgetting three legal documents."
"I'm saying the past year has been difficult."
Margaret stared at him.
"My husband died, Lucian. My mind did not."
Dominic stepped between them.
"Enough."
Lucian closed the portfolio.
"Fine. Have independent counsel review everything."
"I will."
Lucian nodded.
Then his eyes dropped toward Margaret's handbag.
The smallest movement.
Dominic saw it.
"Why are you looking at her bag?"
Lucian looked surprised.
"I'm not."
Margaret stood.
"I'll go."
Dominic touched her arm.
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
He walked her into the hall.
Emma appeared with her nanny and immediately reached for Margaret.
Margaret picked her up.
Emma pressed her cheek against her grandmother's shoulder.
Dominic watched them.
"Mom."
Margaret turned.
"You would tell me if someone here was making you uncomfortable, right?"
She looked past him.
Lucian stood inside the study doorway.
Watching.
Margaret gave Dominic a small smile.
"I'm fine."
It was the first lie she had told her son in years.
Later that night Dominic asked Lucian for digital copies of the three signed documents.
Lucian sent them within minutes.
Dominic forwarded them to independent counsel.
At 1:13 a.m., he received a response.
One signature had been notarized by a Romano Holdings employee named Elise Gardner.
Dominic knew Elise.
He called her.
She answered sleepily.
"Mr. Romano?"
"Sorry for the hour. I need to ask you something."
He sent her the document.
Thirty seconds later she gasped.
"I've never seen this before."
"Your notary stamp is on it."
"That stamp was stolen last year."
Dominic sat upright.
"What?"
"I reported it to corporate security."
"Who handled the report?"
Elise hesitated.
"Lucian Hale."
Dominic ended the call and stared toward the dark doorway of his study.
May you like
For the first time, the problem was no longer paperwork.
It was fraud.
