Chapter 9 - ROMAN WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE FALL
The deeper investigators looked, the uglier it became.
Accounts opened in Roman’s name.
Shell corporations signed with forged signatures.
Property transfers tied to childhood trusts.
Salvatore had constructed an entire financial trail designed to make Roman appear responsible if authorities ever closed in.
Roman stood in the conference room reading documents that turned his life into evidence against himself.
Harper knew that expression.
She had worn it when she realized Derek targeted her deliberately.
“You didn’t do this,” she said.
“The records say I did.”
“Records can lie.”
Roman looked at her.
“That sounds strange coming from an accountant.”
“Bad records lie. Good auditors prove it.”
For three days Harper barely slept.
She worked beside federal forensic teams.
Compared signatures.
Metadata.
Bank authorization timestamps.
Roman had alibis for some transactions.
Others occurred while he was a minor.
Slowly they separated Salvatore’s fabrications from Roman’s legitimate businesses.
Then Harper found the flaw.
Salvatore reused the same digital certificate across seventeen forged authorizations.
A tiny technical mistake.
Enough to connect them.
Roman watched her mark the final line.
“You just saved me from a federal indictment.”
“I billed hourly.”
He laughed.
A real laugh.
Harper realized she had never heard it.
For one quiet moment, there was no Derek.
No Salvatore.
No investigation.
Just two exhausted people sitting beside cold coffee.
Roman looked at the bruise fading from her wrist.
“I should have asked before I took Derek’s keys.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
Harper studied him.
“Thank you.”
He looked confused.
“For apologizing without explaining why you were actually right.”
Roman leaned back.
“I’m learning.”
Her phone rang.
Police.
Derek’s Audi had been found abandoned near a marina.
Inside were blood traces.
Not enough to determine whose.
Harper’s stomach tightened.
Then another discovery.
Her stolen laptop was in the trunk.
Derek no longer needed it.
Why?
Because he had already copied everything.
Investigators opened the laptop.
A new file had been placed on the desktop.
FOR HARPER.
Inside was a video.
Derek appeared bruised.
Terrified.
Behind him stood Salvatore.
Derek spoke directly into the camera.
“Harper, I’m sorry.”
Salvatore placed a hand on his shoulder.
Derek flinched.
“I made a lot of choices. Bad ones.”
His eyes filled.
“But this one isn’t mine.”
Salvatore leaned toward the camera.
“Roman has forty-eight hours.”
The screen changed.
A map appeared.
Then bank instructions.
Salvatore wanted Roman to transfer control of the legitimate Falco companies.
If he refused, Derek would die.
Harper stared.
Roman’s expression turned cold.
“You care if he lives?” he asked.
Harper thought carefully.
“Yes.”
Roman looked surprised.
“I don’t want him back. I don’t forgive him. But I don’t want someone murdered because I can’t forgive them.”
Roman nodded slowly.
Then Marcus called.
His voice was urgent.
“Don’t transfer anything.”
“Why?”
Marcus revealed the next secret.
“Derek isn’t Salvatore’s hostage.”
Roman frowned.
May you like
Marcus continued.
“He’s Salvatore’s son.”
