Chapter 8 - NINE O’CLOCK
Bellandi Global’s emergency board session had been scheduled weeks earlier.
Matteo had assumed it was routine.
It wasn’t.
At nine the next morning, the board would vote on acquiring Arclight Holdings.
The red-folder merger.
If Matteo missed the meeting due to illness or incapacity, Vittorio could exercise the temporary proxy.
One vote.
One signature.
Arclight would become part of Bellandi Global.
Once inside, its hidden debts and ownership structure could be buried under the larger company.
Matteo looked at Dominic.
“Good.”
Elena’s expression hardened.
“I’m not disappearing so they can say I lied.”
“This is about safety.”
“It was about safety when I stayed quiet after Marco died.”
Matteo had no answer.
She stepped closer.
“I spent six years believing silence kept Mia safe. Tonight Bianca used Mia to keep me silent again.”
Her voice shook.
“I’m done helping people who threaten us by pretending I don’t exist.”
Sofia nodded.
“She stays if she chooses.”
Matteo looked at his mother.
“Mom.”
“You heard her.”
Rachel closed the folder.
“We can use the board meeting as a controlled trap. But Matteo, you cannot improvise.”
He almost smiled.
“Everyone keeps telling me that.”
At 2:17 a.m., Dominic received a message from an unknown number.
A photograph.
Mia asleep in the upstairs guest room.
Taken from inside the room.
Elena stopped breathing.
Matteo ran upstairs.
Mia was still asleep.
The window was locked.
The door guard swore nobody entered.
On the nightstand sat a single white rose.
May you like
And a note.
MARRY HER. SIGN THE FOLDER. EVERYONE GOES HOME.
