Chapter 10 - The Five Calls Dante Never Answered)
Dante sent Javier out of the garage under guard.
Not because he wanted distance from the truth.
Because his children deserved the truth without Javier using it as a weapon.
They returned to the west sitting room.
Mia sat beside Clara.
Leo remained standing.
Dante did not know where to begin.
So he began with the worst part.
"Uncle Javier told you the truth about the calls."
Leo's eyes filled.
"Mom called you five times?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you answer?"
Dante sat opposite him.
"I was angry."
Leo frowned.
"At Mom?"
"Yes."
The admission hurt.
Dante continued.
"Your mother and I had an argument that morning."
"About what?"
"She wanted me to cancel a meeting with Javier. She said there were things happening inside the company that I didn't understand."
"And you didn't believe her?"
"I believed she was worried. I didn't understand how serious it was."
Dante looked down at his hands.
"I thought she was trying to protect me from a business problem. I told her I could handle my family."
Clara looked away.
Dante continued.
"I flew to New York that afternoon because Javier said there was an emergency with a lender."
Samuel Price whispered.
"Was there?"
"No."
Dante looked at Leo.
"There was no emergency."
Leo understood before the others.
"He got you away from Mom."
Dante nodded.
"The meeting lasted hours. Your mother started calling while I was in the conference room."
"Why didn't you answer?"
Dante swallowed.
"Because I was angry that she kept interrupting."
Leo's face crumpled slightly.
Dante did not soften the truth.
"I silenced the phone."
Mia whispered.
"Did Mommy leave a message?"
"Yes."
"What did she say?"
Dante hesitated.
He had listened to the voicemail thousands of times.
"I love you. Call me when you're done being stubborn."
Mia began crying again.
Dante's voice broke for the first time.
"That was her last message to me."
Leo stared at the floor.
"I should have answered."
Dante said it plainly.
"No excuse changes that."
Leo wiped his face.
"Did you know she was scared?"
"No."
"Would you have come home?"
"Immediately."
Leo looked toward the window where Javier had disappeared.
"So he made sure you didn't know."
"Yes."
Leo was silent for a long time.
Then he asked, "Is that why you never miss our calls?"
Dante almost smiled.
"No matter where I am."
"You answered me during that board meeting."
"You wanted to know where your soccer cleats were."
"They were important."
"They were under your bed."
Leo finally smiled faintly.
Then his expression became serious.
"Dad."
"Yes?"
"Mom knew you loved her."
Dante could not speak.
Leo stepped forward and hugged him.
For three years Dante had carried guilt as if holding it tightly could somehow honor Elena.
His ten-year-old son loosened part of it with one sentence.
Mia joined the hug.
Clara turned away, crying silently.
Samuel gave the family privacy.
Several minutes later Thomas entered.
"Margaret Hale has arrived."
She carried two archive cases.
One contained the original fraudulent application using Mia's identity.
The other contained Vincent Romano's trust documents.
Margaret greeted the children first.
Then she turned to Dante.
"I wish Elena had been able to explain all of this herself."
"So do I."
Margaret placed the documents on the table.
"There's another issue."
Dante almost laughed.
"Of course there is."
"Sofia."
"What about her?"
"I can't reach her."
Dante looked at Margaret.
"When did you last speak?"
"Yesterday afternoon."
"Maybe she's busy."
"She knew I was calling today to confirm Monday's meeting."
Samuel asked, "Did Javier know her address?"
"I don't believe so."
Clara spoke.
"Vincent supported her. Javier may have found records."
Dante called Thomas.
"Locate Sofia Romano."
Margaret corrected him.
"Sofia Bell. She uses her mother's surname."
Thomas nodded and left.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then thirty.
Dante's security team checked Sofia's apartment building.
Her car was parked outside.
No one answered.
A neighbor had seen her leave that morning with a man in a dark suit.
"Did she look upset?" Dante asked.
Thomas listened to the report through his earpiece.
"No."
"Did she know him?"
"The neighbor says it looked like she did."
Clara became tense.
"One of Javier's people?"
"Maybe."
Dante looked toward the terrace.
"Ask him."
Javier was brought inside.
Dante placed Sofia's photograph in front of him.
It had been found in Margaret's file.
She looked like Javier around the eyes.
"Where is she?"
Javier smiled.
"My daughter?"
"Where?"
"You all seem very interested in my family suddenly."
Dante gripped the table.
"Answer me."
Javier looked at Clara.
"Tell your new hero to calm down."
Clara replied, "Tell him where Sofia is."
Javier laughed.
"Jealous?"
Clara's expression did not change.
"I'm embarrassed I ever loved you."
The smile disappeared.
Dante pushed the photograph closer.
"Where is Sofia?"
Javier leaned back.
"Safe."
"Where?"
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Whether Margaret destroys the trust papers."
Margaret stared at him.
"You abducted your own daughter?"
Javier shook his head.
"Such an ugly word."
Dante stepped closer.
"Call whoever has her."
"Why?"
"Because if she gets hurt, there is nothing left for you to negotiate."
Javier looked at him.
"There is already nothing left for me to negotiate."
That was when Dante understood the most dangerous thing about the man in front of him.
May you like
Javier no longer believed he could win.
He only wanted to make sure everyone else lost.
