Chapter 10 - THE BROTHER WHO WAS HIDING HIS OWN SECRET
Mateo Cruz had always been the honest one.
At least, that was what I believed.
He called Mom every Sunday.
Worked hard at Northwestern.
And apologized whenever he needed help paying for textbooks.
Now Celeste was claiming he'd been working for Arthur Bowmont.
The man connected to stolen medical assistance funds.
The man whose companies controlled the clinic that mistreated Valentina.
I felt sick.
Dante looked toward me.
"Serena, do you want to call your brother?"
I nodded immediately.
I didn't want another powerful family investigating Mateo without giving him a chance to explain.
I called.
He answered on the second ring.
"Hey, Sis."
My throat tightened.
"Mateo, are you working for Arthur Bowmont?"
Silence.
Then he whispered:
"How did you find out?"
My stomach dropped.
"Is it true?"
"Yes."
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I asked:
"Why?"
Mateo took a shaky breath.
"Because Mom's medical bills were getting worse."
My eyes filled.
"Mateo..."
"Arthur's company offered me a paid research assistant position. It was supposed to be a scholarship program."
I swallowed.
"What were you researching?"
"Medical billing software."
My heart pounded.
"Northstar?"
Silence.
Then Mateo whispered:
"Yes."
I covered my mouth.
The same company that diverted foundation funds.
The same company that controlled Valentina's questionable medical program.
My brother had been working inside its systems.
"Mateo, did you know what they were doing?"
"No."
His voice broke.
"Not at first."
I sat down.
"What does that mean?"
He explained that his work involved reviewing billing data and correcting errors.
At first, everything seemed legitimate.
Then he noticed unusual patterns.
Certain patients were charged twice.
Some assistance payments disappeared.
And a group of accounts connected to the Moretti foundation showed unexplained adjustments.
I stared at the wall.
"You discovered the fraud?"
"I think so."
My heart raced.
"Did you tell anyone?"
"I told my supervisor."
"And?"
Mateo went silent.
Then whispered:
"She told me to stop asking questions."
My stomach tightened.
"Who was your supervisor?"
A long pause.
Then he answered:
"Julian Price."
The same man who'd visited our apartment years earlier.
The same man linked to Luca's final night.
The same man connected to the docks shooting.
I closed my eyes.
"Mateo, are you safe?"
He hesitated.
"I don't know."
My chest tightened.
"Where are you?"
"At the library."
I looked toward Dante.
He nodded.
Then I told Mateo to remain in a public place and contact campus security if he felt threatened.
We arranged for an independent attorney to meet him.
But before the call ended, Mateo whispered something unexpected.
"Serena, I found Luca Moretti's original report."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
"It was stored in an old backup folder."
I looked toward Dante.
His expression changed.
Mateo continued.
"I copied the file before they disabled my access."
My hands began trembling.
"What's in it?"
A long silence followed.
Then Mateo whispered:
"The name of the person who ordered Luca's murder."
I stopped breathing.
"Who?"
Mateo's voice broke.
"Serena, it wasn't Arthur Bowmont."
My stomach tightened.
"Then who?"
He swallowed.
May you like
"Vincent Romano."
The man Dante had trusted like a second father.
