Chapter 9 - DANTE’S BROTHER WANTED HIM TO FAIL
Alessandro Bellini was Luca’s father.
Dante’s older brother.
The respected family patriarch.
The man who had hugged Valentina at every Christmas dinner for eight years.
According to the messages, Alessandro had known about Luca’s relationship with Celeste for at least four months.
He did nothing.
Worse.
He ordered one of Dante’s security analysts not to escalate rumors.
Valentina stared at the screen.
“Why?”
Dante looked exhausted.
“Because if Luca married you and gained Moretti assets, Alessandro believed his branch of the family would finally outrank mine.”
There it was.
Power.
Always power.
“And Celeste?”
“He probably thought Luca could control her.”
Valentina actually laughed.
“Men keep making that mistake about women in this story.”
Dante looked at her.
“Noted.”
She smiled despite everything.
Then became serious.
“What will you do?”
“Ask him.”
“Just ask him?”
“He’s my brother.”
“That sounds dangerously close to protecting him.”
Dante’s expression changed.
She had learned his language.
Good.
“You’re right.”
They confronted Alessandro the next morning at Bellini headquarters in Florence.
Luca was there.
So was his mother, Bianca.
No shouting at first.
Just documents.
Emails.
Dates.
Alessandro denied everything for six minutes.
Then Dante showed him the security suppression order carrying his authorization code.
Silence.
Bianca looked at her husband.
“You knew Luca was cheating?”
Alessandro’s face hardened.
“It was temporary.”
Luca stared.
“You knew?”
“You needed to marry Valentina.”
“For the assets?”
“For the family.”
The exact phrase Luca had used at the church.
Think about our families.
Suddenly Valentina saw where Luca learned it.
Luca’s anger changed shape.
“You let me destroy my marriage because you wanted the vineyard?”
“I expected you to stop after the wedding.”
Celeste’s betrayal had been strategic.
Luca’s had been selfish.
Alessandro’s was colder than both.
He treated every person involved as a movable piece.
Dante spoke quietly.
“You’re stepping down.”
Alessandro laughed.
“You don’t decide that.”
“No.”
Dante placed a folder on the table.
“The Board does.”
Three Bellini directors had already signed emergency removal petitions.
Alessandro stared.
“You planned this.”
“I prepared for the possibility that you would choose power over honesty.”
Valentina felt the difference.
Prepared.
Not manipulated.
Then Alessandro said something that stopped everyone.
“You think this is about me?”
Dante’s eyes narrowed.
“Marco Vescari never wanted the vineyard.”
Valentina’s pulse quickened.
“What does he want?”
Alessandro looked directly at her.
“Your mother’s trust.”
Lucia’s trust?
Valentina had never heard of one.
Then Alessandro smiled bitterly.
“Ask Dante.”
She turned.
Dante looked genuinely confused.
Good.
For once, the secret was not his.
Alessandro continued:
“Lucia Moretti controls twelve percent of Bellini Maritime.”
Silence.
Valentina stared at him.
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
May you like
Alessandro leaned back.
“And when Lucia dies, those shares go to you.”
