Chapter 18 - The Files He Released
Gavin was arrested without getting another step.
Marcus distracted him long enough for police entering through the south property line to tackle him.
The knife skidded under the kitchen table.
Mila never let go of Sienna.
At 3:12 a.m., an anonymous package reached every member of Ferrante Group's board, three major investors, and two business reporters.
They included forged emails suggesting Thomas and Daniel had conspired to hide losses.
And some were private records stolen from Ferrante servers.
"Tell the truth."
"All of it?"
"All of it."
"Then they ask."
"The company could take a hit."
"Then it takes a hit."
"You're sure?"
"I spent my life thinking protecting this family meant controlling what people saw. Gavin used secrecy like a weapon because he learned everyone had something they were desperate to hide."
"We're done helping him."
At the emergency board meeting, Nico disclosed the Northline fraud, Daniel's involvement, and the ongoing criminal investigation.
Daniel had already resigned and entered negotiations with prosecutors.
Nico also disclosed the twenty-year-old payment to DeLuca and released inspection records showing Ferrante's building had failed twice after the payment.
As the compliance officer who had first found the problem.
"The fraudulent accounts were created using identity documents stolen from me," she said. "My signatures were forged. My husband and members of his family used coercion and violence to try to make those forgeries believable."
"Why didn't you report this earlier?"
"Because I was afraid."
"And because I thought being afraid meant I was weak. It doesn't. It means I waited too long to ask for help. That delay is mine. The crimes are theirs."
By noon, the stock had fallen six percent.
Park arrived at the estate after dark.
"We charged Gavin with kidnapping, assault, forgery, conspiracy, fraud, and attempted coercion. More will come."
"Sabrina?" Sienna asked.
"She surrendered this afternoon."
"My mother-in-law?"
"Still refusing to cooperate."
"And Daniel?"
"Talking fast."
"There's one thing you should know."
"What?"
"We recovered the second blue box from a storage locker Raymond identified."
"What's in it?"
"Recordings. Years of them. Marjorie recorded family conversations, business meetings, even phone calls."
Park set a drive on the table.
"One recording is labeled with Sienna's wedding date."
Sienna went still.
"My wedding?"
May you like
Park nodded.
"And on it, Gavin says something about why he married you."
