Chapter 5 - The Party Javier Needed to Control)
By Saturday morning, the Romano mansion looked perfect.
That was the problem with wealthy families.
Disaster could hide beautifully.
White chairs lined the lawn.
A string quartet played beneath a canopy.
Waiters carried trays across the terrace.
Children chased each other between flower beds.
Donors spoke about generosity while executives quietly discussed contracts.
Dante greeted guests with Leo on one side and Mia on the other.
Javier watched from across the lawn.
Clara had barely spoken to him all morning.
"What are you doing?"
She looked at him.
"Standing."
"You've been watching Dante."
"I'm allowed to look at people."
Javier moved closer.
"You planning to tell him something?"
Clara smiled without warmth.
"Should I have something to tell him?"
His voice dropped.
"If you embarrass me today, you'll regret it."
She looked toward the children.
Leo was helping Mia straighten the ribbon around a flower basket.
"You've threatened enough people, Javier."
His jaw tightened.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I'm tired."
"Of what?"
"You."
He grabbed her elbow.
Clara did not flinch.
That unsettled him more than fear would have.
"Let go."
"Tell me where the ledger is."
"I don't know."
"You found Elena's box."
"Yes."
His fingers tightened.
"And you expect me to believe you didn't find the ledger."
"You destroyed the recorder before I could search everything."
"Where are the copies?"
Clara looked directly into his eyes.
"Somewhere you'll never find them."
For the first time Javier looked genuinely frightened.
Then Leo ran past them.
Clara saw an opportunity.
"Leo."
The boy stopped.
She pulled the cream envelope from the hidden pocket sewn inside her dress.
"Can you do something for me?"
"Sure."
"Put this in your back pocket."
Leo looked at it.
"What is it?"
"Something for your dad."
"Why don't you give it to him?"
"Because I need you to keep it safe until I tell you."
Leo frowned.
"Is this about Mom?"
Clara hesitated.
"Yes."
That was enough.
He tucked it into his pocket.
Javier was speaking to a donor twenty yards away.
He had not seen.
Clara bent down.
"If anything strange happens, if I leave, or if Uncle Javier gets angry, give it to your dad immediately."
Leo's eyes widened.
"Are you scared of Uncle Javier?"
Clara forced a smile.
"Just remember what I said."
She kissed his forehead.
For almost an hour nothing happened.
Then Dante's private auditor arrived.
His name was Samuel Price.
Javier recognized him instantly.
Samuel had investigated two corporate fraud cases for Romano Holdings in the past.
Javier crossed the lawn.
"What is Price doing here?"
Dante did not answer immediately.
"He was invited."
"By who?"
"Me."
Javier smiled tightly.
"Why?"
"Foundation records."
Clara saw Javier's hand curl into a fist.
Dante continued.
"Samuel found something interesting this morning."
"What?"
"Clara's authorization credentials were cloned."
Javier went still.
Dante watched him.
"That surprise you?"
"Of course."
"It means she may not have authorized the transfers."
Javier recovered quickly.
"Or she cloned herself to create an excuse."
Samuel approached.
"I also found login activity from an internal terminal."
Javier looked at him.
"Which terminal?"
Samuel opened a folder.
"The executive suite."
"Several people use those offices."
"Not at 2:14 in the morning."
Dante asked, "Whose access card opened the floor?"
Samuel looked at Javier.
Before he could answer, Javier grabbed the folder and threw it onto the grass.
Guests turned.
Dante's expression hardened.
"You want to explain that?"
Javier pointed at Clara.
"This is her doing."
Clara laughed softly.
"Mine?"
"You've been setting me up."
"For what?"
Javier's voice rose.
"You think because you found Elena's little hiding place, you know anything?"
Everything stopped.
Dante heard the name.
Elena.
"Hiding place?"
Javier realized too late what he had said.
Dante took one step toward him.
"What hiding place?"
Clara looked at Dante.
"Your library."
Javier turned toward her.
"Shut up."
Dante's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Clara."
She took a breath.
"Elena left evidence."
Javier moved toward her.
Dante blocked him.
"Don't."
Clara continued.
"She knew money was disappearing from the foundation."
Guests began whispering.
Javier looked around and saw control slipping away.
Then he saw Leo.
More precisely, he saw the cream envelope protruding slightly from Leo's back pocket.
Clara followed his gaze.
Her face changed.
"Leo, go to your father."
Javier moved faster.
He crossed the grass.
Leo grabbed Mia's hand.
"Run."
Javier reached them.
And the beautiful family celebration turned into the confrontation everyone would later remember.
He seized both children.
He shoved them toward Dante.
He threw the first punch.
And minutes later he was lying face-down on the grass while Dante opened Elena's note.
But the bank receipt inside the envelope was only the beginning.
When Samuel Price looked at it, he noticed a number handwritten in the corner.
A number no one had mentioned.
Seven seventeen.
Dante looked at Clara.
"What does that mean?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
Samuel stared toward the mansion.
"Maybe Elena did."
Dante turned the receipt over.
There were six words written on the back.
The room where we became a family.
May you like
Dante knew exactly which room she meant.
And Javier knew too.
