Chapter 6 - The Account That Was Waiting
The transfer was stopped with nine minutes to spare.
Not because Cesare cooperated.
Because Alessia remembered an old secondary approval rule her mother had written into Bellini Maritime’s bylaws years earlier.
“No transfer above twenty million clears without an independent director’s verbal code,” she told the compliance officer.
The woman blinked. “That rule was removed.”
“No. It was moved to the trust appendix.”
She found it.
The bank froze the funds.
Cesare stood.
“This meeting is over.”
Valerio blocked the door.
“No.”
Cesare looked at him. “You are not going to imprison your own uncle in a conference room.”
“I’m waiting for counsel.”
“Counsel?” Cesare almost laughed. “Since when do you hide behind lawyers?”
Valerio’s answer was quiet.
“Since my wife asked me to.”
Alessia looked away before he could see what that did to her.
The company’s outside attorney arrived with two investigators from the state financial crimes unit. Cesare’s confidence finally cracked.
Only slightly.
He denied knowing anything about the forged filings. He blamed Veronica. He said the escrow account had been opened by a junior analyst.
Then one investigator asked for the original hospital certification.
The file metadata listed the author.
DR. ELIAS HELLER.
Alessia’s neurologist.
Nathan’s face hardened.
“He told me he didn’t prescribe the capsule.”
“Maybe he lied,” Valerio said.
Nathan shook his head. “Or someone used his credentials.”
At 5:20 a.m., police reached Dr. Heller’s apartment.
The door was open.
The place had been searched.
No doctor.
No laptop.
No phone.
But officers found blood on the kitchen floor.
Back at the boardroom, Alessia’s phone rang from an unknown number.
Valerio reached for it.
She pulled it away.
“My phone.”
She answered.
For three seconds, there was only breathing.
Then Veronica spoke.
“You should have stayed on the floor.”
Alessia’s grip tightened.
“Where is Dr. Heller?”
A soft laugh.
“You still think this is about the doctor?”
“What is it about?”
“Ask your husband why he never showed you the second crash report.”
Alessia turned slowly toward Valerio.
Veronica continued.
“Ask him who was in the car behind you the night your brakes failed.”
May you like
The call ended.
Valerio looked like a man who had just heard a ghost knock on the door.
