Chapter 9 - The Man Behind ConnorLuca's uncle was named Adrian Moretti.
Vincent's younger brother.
Co-founder of Moretti Development.
Board member.
Publicly respected philanthropist.
Privately responsible for most of the company's political relationships and major contracts.
Emma had never heard his name before that morning.
Luca had.
And the moment Vincent said it, something in Luca's expression changed.
"You're sure?"
Vincent gave a tired laugh.
"I've been sure for almost a year."
"And you said nothing?"
"I had suspicions."
"Marco had evidence."
"Marco had pieces."
Emma stepped between them verbally before the argument could grow.
"What does Adrian have to do with Connor?"
Vincent looked at her.
"Connor handled payments Adrian didn't want connected to the company."
"Bribes?"
Detective Hayes asked.
Vincent hesitated.
"Some may have been improper consulting payments."
Hayes stared at him.
"That's a very expensive sentence for 'bribes.'"
Vincent ignored her.
"Marco found one account."
"Then another."
"He began tracing them."
"Adrian realized."
"And Connor?"
"Connor panicked."
Emma thought about the hospital.
"Why come after me?"
Vincent's eyes moved to Marco's letter.
"Because Marco trusted you."
"I didn't know anything."
"Adrian didn't know that."
Luca spoke.
"Why wasn't this reported?"
Vincent looked at him.
"Because reporting it without proof could have destroyed the company and thousands of jobs."
"Marco didn't care about the stock price."
"He should have."
Luca's voice hardened.
"He died."
Vincent stood.
"I know exactly what happened to my son."
The room fell silent.
Emma watched him.
"Do you?"
Vincent looked at her.
"No."
The answer seemed to cost him something.
"That's the part that keeps me awake."
Detective Hayes opened the paper ledger from locker 318.
"These entries go back four years."
Vincent glanced at them.
"Marco showed me part of that."
"He believed Adrian and Connor were routing money through vendors."
"Then why is CJM listed?"
Vincent looked toward Luca.
"Because Marco created CJM at Adrian's suggestion."
Luca frowned.
"What?"
"Adrian told Marco every senior executive needed a private holding company."
"He helped set it up."
"So Adrian had access."
"Yes."
Emma finally understood.
"Connor made it look like Marco was part of it."
Vincent nodded.
"That was the insurance policy."
"If anyone found the transfers, Marco would appear involved."
Luca looked furious.
"You let him keep working with Adrian after you knew that?"
"I didn't know until six weeks before the crash."
"What did you do?"
"I confronted Adrian."
"And?"
"He denied everything."
Detective Hayes leaned forward.
"Did you tell Marco?"
"Yes."
Luca looked confused.
"Then why did Marco keep investigating alone?"
Vincent looked at his son.
"Because Marco didn't trust you."
The words landed heavily.
Luca did not move.
Vincent continued.
"He believed you would choose the company over the truth."
Emma remembered Marco's letter.
He'll act like he doesn't care.
He's very good at that.
She looked at Luca.
"He still told me to trust you."
Vincent frowned.
"What?"
Emma picked up Marco's letter.
"He told me that if anything happened, I should give the evidence to Luca."
For the first time, Vincent appeared genuinely surprised.
Luca looked at the floor.
Detective Hayes's phone rang.
She answered.
Her face became serious.
"When?"
She listened.
"Send me the address."
She ended the call.
"What happened?"
Emma asked.
Hayes looked at Vincent.
"Connor's apartment was searched."
"And?"
"They found copies of Emma's medical records."
Emma felt sick.
"How?"
"We're tracing access."
Hayes looked at Luca.
"They also found photographs."
"Of what?"
"Emma."
"Marco."
"Luca."
"Vincent."
"And Adrian."
Luca's eyes narrowed.
Hayes continued.
"Most were surveillance photographs."
"But one was different."
She turned her phone around.
The image showed Connor standing beside Adrian Moretti outside a private club.
The date stamp was three days after Marco died.
Emma stared at it.
"Connor told us Adrian was behind everything."
Luca shook his head slowly.
"Connor never gives information away for free."
Vincent looked at his son.
"Then why would he give us Adrian?"
Luca's gaze remained on the photograph.
"Because he wants us looking at Adrian."
Emma's pulse quickened.
"What are you saying?"
May you like
Luca looked at her.
"I'm saying there may be someone else."
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