Chapter 9 - THE MONEY SENT TO A DEAD WOMAN
My mother had been dead for nine years.
Yet someone had created an account using her identity and received seven million dollars from Lily Monroe.
I stared at the name until Rebecca gently took the report from my hands.
"Claire, this doesn't mean your mother was involved."
"Then why use her name?"
"Because someone wanted the account to look connected to your family."
Thomas sat beside me.
"The account was opened using a forged identity file. We're tracing who submitted it."
I rubbed my forehead.
My concussion headaches had returned.
Everything felt like a nightmare that refused to end.
"Why Lily?" I asked.
Rebecca exchanged a glance with Thomas.
"We think she was laundering money for Daniel."
"And the kidnapping?"
"Likely designed to force Adrian into making a decision that would damage your marriage while distracting everyone from the transfer."
I shook my head.
"Why would Daniel care whether I stayed married?"
Thomas opened another document.
"Because your father left a legal trust."
I looked up.
"What trust?"
"A controlling interest in the original Moretti shipping company."
My mouth fell open.
"That's impossible."
"It was structured through a holding company established before the ambush. Your father was a minority business partner who acquired additional voting rights when he uncovered the fraud."
I stared.
"My father owned part of the Moretti empire?"
"Enough that the inheritance provisions could affect control of several legitimate operations."
"And I inherited it?"
"Potentially. The documents need court authentication, but they identify you as the successor."
I thought of Adrian.
Of the luxurious house we'd shared.
The private cars.
The expensive dinners.
The strange way people had always treated me as though my place in the family was both permanent and fragile.
"Did Adrian know?"
Thomas hesitated.
"Not necessarily."
I wanted to believe that.
But belief was becoming dangerous.
We spent the next several hours reviewing documents.
Then Rebecca received a call from Chicago.
She answered, listened, and slowly sat down.
"What happened?" I demanded.
She covered the phone.
"Daniel Russo has disappeared."
My stomach tightened.
"Where's Adrian?"
"He's helping federal investigators search his company's records."
Rebecca listened again.
Her expression changed.
"Wait. Repeat that."
She ended the call.
Then looked at me.
"They found Lily."
"Where?"
"At a private airport outside Chicago."
"Was she trying to escape?"
"Yes."
I leaned forward.
"Did she say anything?"
Rebecca nodded.
"She requested an attorney. Before questioning stopped, she made one voluntary statement."
My pulse raced.
"What statement?"
Rebecca's voice lowered.
"She said Daniel was not the person who arranged your kidnapping."
I stared.
"Then who did?"
"She claims he was following instructions from the man who raised Adrian."
I stopped breathing.
"Vittorio?"
Rebecca shook her head.
"Vittorio left instructions before his death. And the person carrying them out was still alive."
Then she said a name that made my blood run cold.
"Adrian's older brother."
May you like
I stared at her.
"Adrian doesn't have an older brother."
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