Chương 10 - The Wrong Father
Carlo had asked a court for emergency guardianship of Leo.
His petition described Dante as unstable.
It attached news articles about violence linked to his organization.
It claimed Alina was an opportunist attempting to influence him.
Alina read the filing in Evelyn’s office.
“He filed this before I saw the tattoo.”
Evelyn nodded.
“The restaurant meeting accelerated something already planned.”
Dante sat with his elbows on his knees.
“Vittorio brought the envelope to me.
He told me he had traced the restaurant.”
Alina understood.
“They wanted you to find me.”
“Why?”
“To make you look reckless.
A grieving man suddenly trusting a waitress who claims to be family.”
Evelyn turned another page.
Carlo also claimed Sofia had named him as Leo’s preferred guardian.
Attached was a signed letter.
Alina compared the signature to her sister’s birth certificate and the labels on the memory card.
“Sofia crossed her f’s through the loop.
This one doesn’t.”
Evelyn marked the page.
“We’ll have it examined.”
Dante stared at Carlo’s filing.
“I thought he wanted my position.”
“He does,” Alina said.
“But why take Leo?”
The answer came from the box Sister Agnes had guarded.
Sofia’s maternal grandfather had left money and property for Marisol’s children.
Marisol had been separated from her father for years.
The foundation had administered the estate after his death.
Sofia’s share had grown untouched.
Or supposedly untouched.
Evelyn examined the trust records.
“There’s a distribution scheduled after Leo’s first birthday.
His guardian would control requests for his support.”
Dante looked up.
“How much?”
“Enough to cover a large hole in the foundation’s accounts.”
Carlo hadn’t only taken a child to silence her mother.
He had kept control of her identity.
Her inheritance.
Her future.
Alina turned to Dante.
“And you kept signing checks without asking where the money went.”
He didn’t defend himself.
“Yes.”
Then Evelyn opened the hospital visitor log.
May you like
The night Sofia died, Carlo had entered under another name.
The name belonged to Dante.
