Chapter 16
Beatrice’s fingers flew across her keyboard as she opened the archived sub-ledgers from 2018.
Her heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird as lines of historical data scrolled down the screen.
She bypassed three layers of legacy encryption using her master administrator access.
There it was.
An offshore holding company named Veloce Logistics.
That was the exact name of her father’s former enterprise before it was liquidated.
The routing codes showed a massive, systematic short-selling strategy backed by Moretti Enterprise funds.
Dante’s father had orchestrated the collapse that destroyed her family’s life.
Beatrice slumped back in her chair, feeling a sudden, violent wave of nausea.
Everything she had experienced over the last twenty-four hours flooded her mind with a toxic new context.
The grand rescue in the ballroom.
The protection.
The lavish praise.
Was it all just a calculated strategy to keep her from digging into his family’s historical crimes?
The heavy office door opened softly, and Dante walked in carrying two cups of fresh espresso.
“You’ve been staring at that screen for three hours, Beatrice,” Dante said gently, setting a cup on her desk.
“You need to rest.”
Beatrice slowly turned her head to look at him, her eyes cold and distant.
Dante noticed the sudden change in her demeanor immediately, his sharp gaze narrowing.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, stepping closer to the desk.
“Did Victoria call you from holding?”
Beatrice closed her laptop with a sharp click that echoed in the quiet office.
“Did you know my father was Arthur Gallagher?” she asked, her voice dangerously quiet.
Dante went completely still, the warmth in his posture vanishing in an instant.
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He didn't look surprised, but something unreadable passed through his dark eyes.
“Yes,” Dante answered honestly. “I knew who your father was.”
