Chapter 9 - The Last Enemy Was Standing Inside the Family
Three months before the wedding, everything seemed peaceful.
That was when Vincent discovered the missing account.
A dormant Costello foundation had moved $2.4 million.
No authorization.
No recipient.
No digital footprint.
The transaction had been made through an old system.
One Dominic's father had used.
Dominic brought Genevieve into the office.
“Look.”
She studied it.
“Someone wants you to think your father did this.”
“My father is dead.”
“Exactly.”
She traced the transaction.
“This isn't money laundering.”
“What is it?”
“Bait.”
Dominic looked at her.
“For whom?”
“For whoever investigates.”
Genevieve's eyes narrowed.
The transaction contained a reference code.
A code she had seen before.
In the Sterling files.
“It's connected.”
They followed it.
The money traveled through three banks.
Then into a trust.
Then into an account owned by a company called Northstar Holdings.
The listed director was anonymous.
But Genevieve recognized the incorporation agent.
Martha Bell.
Dominic's expression changed.
“Martha?”
She had disappeared from the safe facility weeks earlier.
They found her in a church outside Philadelphia.
She was waiting.
“I wanted to see whether you'd figure it out.”
Genevieve sat across from her.
“What did you hide?”
“Not what.”
Martha smiled sadly.
“Who.”
She revealed that Richard Sterling had not been the mastermind.
He had been an intermediary.
The true architect had been someone in the Costello family.
Someone who had used the Sterling network to build a private financial empire.
Someone who had manipulated Dominic's father.
Dominic stared.
“Who?”
Martha looked at him.
“Your aunt.”
Dominic froze.
Isabella Costello.
His father's younger sister.
The woman who had spent years living in Europe.
The woman who had been considered too ill to participate in family affairs.
The woman who had attended no major meetings.
“She's been financing Hastings for fifteen years.”
Genevieve looked at the documents.
“Why?”
“To control both families.”
Martha explained.
Isabella believed Dominic's father was too sentimental.
She believed Richard Sterling could be controlled.
Hastings could be purchased.
And once the families were weakened, she would create a new alliance.
But Dominic had survived.
Then his father had died.
Dominic inherited everything.
The plan had failed.
So Isabella used Leo.
She had encouraged the Sterling marriage.
She had given Beatrice access.
She had manipulated the shipping contracts.
She had helped frame Genevieve.
And when that failed, she had tried to destroy Dominic through public scandal.
Dominic sat silently.
Genevieve touched his hand.
“You okay?”
“No.”
He stood.
“Where is she?”
Martha gave him an address.
A vineyard in Italy.
Dominic smiled.
“She thinks she won.”
Genevieve shook her head.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“She thinks you’ll come after her.”
“And?”
“We don't need to.”
She held up a folder.
“This proves everything.”
Dominic looked.
“Then we bring her home legally.”
He made the call.
Within weeks, extradition proceedings began.
Isabella returned to New York under arrest.
At the courthouse, she looked at Dominic with a strange mixture of disappointment and pride.
“You were always your father's son.”
Dominic said nothing.
“You could have inherited an empire.”
“I did.”
She laughed.
“No.”
She looked toward Genevieve.
“You inherited a woman who will make you weak.”
Genevieve stepped forward.
“No.”
She smiled.
“I made him honest.”
Isabella's expression shifted.
For the first time, she understood.
That was why her plan had failed.
Dominic no longer wanted to rule through fear.
He wanted to build something that could not be taken by threats.
Months later, the Costello and Croft families gathered at Oheka Castle again.
This time for Dominic and Genevieve.
The ballroom looked almost the same.
White orchids.
Golden chandeliers.
Long tables.
But one thing was different.
No one whispered when Genevieve walked in.
They stood.
They applauded.
Lila scattered flowers down the aisle.
Leo waited beside Dominic.
“I never thought we'd make it here.”
Dominic smiled.
“Neither did I.”
“You happy?”
Dominic looked toward Genevieve.
“Yes.”
Leo laughed.
“Good.”
The music began.
Genevieve appeared.
No armor.
No red war gown.
Only ivory silk.
She walked toward Dominic.
Not because he was powerful.
Not because he had rescued her.
Because she had chosen him.
And he had chosen her.
When she reached him, Dominic whispered:
“You look terrifying.”
She smiled.
“Good.”
The ceremony began.
But halfway through, Genevieve noticed something.
At the back of the ballroom stood an old woman.
She was smiling.
Genevieve recognized her.
Clara Bennett.
The bank compliance officer.
Alive.
Safe.
Clara nodded.
Then disappeared.
Genevieve frowned.
After the ceremony, she found an envelope on her chair.
Inside was one final document.
A simple letter.
You don't owe the past anything anymore.
Genevieve folded it.
Then placed it beneath the photograph of her father that she carried in her bouquet.
May you like
The past could stay where it belonged.
Behind them.
