Chapter 5 - The Man Roman Trusted Most
Roman opened the door.
Marco stood outside alone.
No coat.
Blood dried along one sleeve from the warehouse.
Roman searched his face.
“Are you M.B.?”
Marco’s expression changed.
Claire stood several feet behind Roman.
Marco entered slowly.
“Yes.”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
“Explain.”
“My full name is Marco Bennett Bellini.”
Claire froze.
“Bennett?”
Marco looked at her.
“My mother’s maiden name.”
Claire stared.
“Who was she?”
“Anna Bennett.”
Claire stepped backward.
“My father had a sister named Anna.”
Marco nodded.
Claire covered her mouth.
“My aunt disappeared when I was little.”
“She didn’t disappear.”
Marco’s voice broke slightly.
“She changed her name and left Seattle because Samuel told her to.”
Claire stared at him.
“You’re my cousin.”
“Yes.”
Roman looked between them.
“The payments?”
Marco turned toward him.
“Your mother used me as a coded beneficiary.”
“You were a child.”
“Ten.”
Roman’s anger shifted into confusion.
Marco continued.
“After Samuel realized Victor was watching him, he transferred money to Anna so she could leave with me.”
Claire shook her head.
“My father never told us.”
“He was protecting you.”
Tears filled Claire’s eyes.
She did not let them fall.
Roman looked at Marco.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“My mother made me promise.”
“For fifteen years?”
“She died seven years ago. By then I had already joined your security team.”
Roman stared.
“You joined because of me.”
“Yes.”
“To spy on me?”
“At first.”
That answer hurt.
Marco continued quickly.
“Gabriel found me. He wanted someone close enough to know whether you were becoming Dominic.”
Roman’s face hardened.
“And what did you decide?”
Marco looked at him.
“That you weren’t.”
Silence.
Roman looked away.
Everything in his life seemed built over hidden doors.
Claire approached Marco.
“Did my father know you?”
Marco nodded.
“Barely. But I remember him.”
Claire’s voice softened.
“What do you remember?”
“He gave me a red toy truck.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“My father loved those.”
Marco swallowed.
“I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”
Claire looked at him.
“So am I.”
Roman interrupted.
“My mother’s tape.”
Marco nodded.
“M.B. wasn’t the person working with Victor.”
“Then who?”
Marco’s expression darkened.
“The recording was interrupted before she named them.”
Roman sighed.
“Of course.”
“But Gabriel found the original ledger.”
“At Pier 91?”
Marco nodded.
“Victor took it.”
“Where is he?”
“We don’t know.”
Roman walked to the window.
Reporters had begun gathering outside.
His life was exploding publicly now.
News vans.
Cameras.
Questions.
Claire looked through the glass.
“You can’t stay here.”
Roman almost smiled.
“Finally, you’re telling me to leave.”
“I’m protecting my windows.”
He laughed softly.
Marco stared at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Roman’s smile vanished.
“What happens now?”
Marco handed him a flash drive.
“Your mother made backups.”
Roman stared.
“Where did you get this?”
“Gabriel.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“You spoke to him?”
“Yes.”
Roman’s patience snapped.
“Everyone in my life seems to communicate except me.”
Claire said quietly, “Maybe because you’re scary.”
Roman looked at her.
She shrugged.
Marco almost smiled.
The flash drive contained scanned ledger pages.
Roman opened them on Claire’s laptop.
Names.
Dates.
Amounts.
Victor Hale appeared everywhere.
But another name repeated beside him.
Not initials.
A full name.
Michael Castellano.
Roman stared.
Claire looked over his shoulder.
“Who is Michael?”
Roman’s face lost color.
“My brother.”
Claire turned.
“You have a brother?”
“Had.”
Michael Castellano was eight years older than Roman.
Brilliant.
Charming.
Unstable.
He had died from an overdose when Roman was nineteen.
At least that was the official story.
Roman scrolled.
Michael had authorized shipments with Victor.
Received payments.
Signed false manifests.
Roman sat down.
His brother had been involved.
Claire watched him.
“You didn’t know.”
“No.”
Roman remembered Michael teaching him to drive.
Michael defending him from Dominic.
Michael disappearing for days.
Then the funeral.
Closed casket.
Roman looked at Marco.
“Was his overdose real?”
Marco shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Roman laughed bitterly.
“Apparently nobody in this family dies normally.”
Claire placed a hand near his, not touching.
Roman noticed.
The gesture was enough.
Another file appeared on the drive.
VIDEO_2004.
Roman clicked.
Grainy footage.
Warehouse.
Victor Hale.
Michael Castellano.
They argued.
Michael shouted:
“I’m done.”
Victor answered:
“You were done the moment you signed.”
Michael pushed documents across the table.
“I’m taking this to my mother.”
Roman froze.
“My mother was already dead.”
Marco nodded.
“The date stamp may be wrong.”
The footage continued.
Michael said:
“Elena knew what you were doing before she died.”
Victor’s expression changed.
Then another man entered frame.
Dominic.
Roman’s stomach dropped.
Dominic punched Michael.
The video ended.
Roman stood.
“I need to talk to my father.”
Claire looked worried.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
They drove to the hospital.
Dominic was awake.
Roman entered alone.
The old man looked tired.
Roman placed the tablet on his bed.
Played the footage.
Dominic closed his eyes.
“Michael.”
“What happened to him?”
Dominic said nothing.
Roman leaned closer.
“What happened?”
“He wanted out.”
“So Victor killed him?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Dominic looked at Roman.
“I did.”
Roman stopped breathing.
Dominic continued before Roman could react.
“Not intentionally.”
Roman’s face hardened.
“Explain.”
“We fought.”
Dominic looked toward the window.
“Michael had been using drugs. Victor had control over him. Your brother wanted to confess. I told him he would destroy the company, the family, everything.”
Roman’s voice shook.
“You cared about the company?”
“I cared about you.”
“Don’t.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
“We fought. He left. That night he overdosed.”
Roman stared.
“So you didn’t kill him.”
“I gave him the reason to use.”
“That’s not the same.”
“It felt the same.”
Roman looked away.
Dominic continued.
“I covered it up.”
Roman turned back.
“Why?”
“Because an investigation would reveal Victor’s operation.”
Roman’s disgust showed.
“There it is.”
“Yes.”
Dominic did not defend himself.
“I protected the empire.”
“And lost everyone.”
Dominic’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Roman had never seen his father cry.
He wished he still had not.
“Did you know Victor killed Samuel Bennett?”
“Not until years later.”
“And you kept Victor close.”
“To collect evidence.”
“That’s what Gabriel said.”
Dominic nodded.
“I was afraid if I moved too soon, more people would die.”
Roman laughed coldly.
“So you did nothing.”
“Yes.”
“That cowardice cost Claire her father.”
“Yes.”
“My mother.”
“Yes.”
“Michael.”
Dominic’s voice cracked.
“Yes.”
Roman stepped back.
“I spent my life trying to become powerful enough that nobody could hurt me.”
Dominic looked at him.
Roman continued.
“And I learned it from the weakest man I knew.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Roman left.
Claire waited in the hallway.
She saw his face.
“What happened?”
Roman shook his head.
“Not here.”
They walked to the elevator.
The doors opened.
Victor Hale stood inside.
Roman froze.
Victor held no weapon.
He looked exhausted.
“Before you call security,” he said, “you need to hear me.”
Roman stepped forward.
Victor raised a hand.
“Michael Castellano didn’t die from an overdose.”
Roman stopped.
Claire stared.
May you like
Victor continued.
“And I can prove it.”
