Chapter 3 - The Woman Who Knew Too Much
Serena had never met Victor Romano.
Not formally.
She had seen his name in trade publications, court filings, and a handful of financial databases Marcus had once shown her.
He was a private investor.
At least on paper.
Off paper, he was something else.
He had quietly acquired distressed shipping companies across the East Coast.
Some failed within months.
Some changed ownership.
Some ended up connected to warehouses controlled by the Moretti organization.
Serena studied the photograph.
Bianca looked relaxed.
Lucian looked distracted.
Victor looked directly at the camera.
As if he knew the picture would matter someday.
“That's not a casual dinner,” Serena said.
Marcus nodded.
“No.”
“Why was Bianca meeting with him?”
“We don't know.”
“Then find out.”
Marcus picked up the file.
“I'll have someone trace the transaction histories.”
Serena looked at him.
“Quietly.”
“Of course.”
She kissed Adrian's forehead.
The baby stirred.
“He needs a peaceful life.”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“That may be difficult with his father.”
Serena almost laughed.
“Understatement.”
The next day, Lucian came to the hospital alone.
No security team.
No driver.
No expensive suit.
Just a dark sweater and a paper bag.
Serena saw him through the glass.
He held a small stuffed elephant.
She let him enter.
“You brought something.”
“For him.”
He held up the elephant.
“I didn't know what babies liked.”
“Apparently they mostly like sleeping.”
He smiled.
“That's reassuring.”
The moment felt almost normal.
Then it disappeared.
Serena looked at him.
“What did you find?”
Lucian's expression changed.
“You know about Victor.”
“I know his name.”
“He was involved with Bianca.”
“How?”
“I don't know yet.”
“You believe her?”
“I believe almost nothing she tells me now.”
Serena studied him.
“You should have started there.”
“I know.”
He looked at Adrian.
“Can I sit?”
“Yes.”
Lucian sat beside the bed.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then:
“I was an idiot.”
Serena smiled sadly.
“That is not enough.”
“No.”
“I know.”
He looked at Adrian.
“I'm going to fight for him.”
“I expect you to.”
“And for you.”
Serena's face hardened.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because you don't get to turn my rejection into a challenge.”
Lucian absorbed that.
“I want to earn your trust.”
“Then stop talking about earning it.”
“What should I do?”
“Act.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
That afternoon, he left.
He didn't call again.
He didn't send flowers.
He didn't send gifts.
He started showing up.
On time.
Quietly.
He attended pediatric appointments.
He learned Adrian's feeding schedule.
He sat for hours just watching his son sleep.
He never demanded Serena's attention.
One evening, Serena allowed him to hold Adrian.
Lucian's hands shook.
“Support his neck,” she said.
“I know.”
“You don't.”
He adjusted.
Adrian opened his eyes.
Lucian froze.
“Hey.”
The baby stared back.
Lucian's eyes filled.
“I'm your dad.”
Serena watched.
Something inside her wanted to believe the scene meant everything.
Another part reminded her that one tender moment could not erase years.
Still, when Adrian curled his fingers around Lucian's thumb, Lucian whispered:
“I should have been there.”
Serena looked away.
Meanwhile, Marcus uncovered the first major connection.
Bianca had opened a holding company eight months earlier.
The company had received money from a consulting firm.
That firm had been funded by Victor.
The money then moved into an offshore account.
From there, payments were made to a developer working on one of Lucian's port projects.
Serena stared at the report.
“Why?”
Marcus circled a name.
“Because this developer wanted to acquire a piece of the waterfront.”
“Which piece?”
Marcus named the property.
Serena went still.
“The South Harbor site.”
“Yes.”
“That is one of our most valuable assets.”
“And one of the assets Lucian has recently proposed selling.”
Serena looked up sharply.
“When?”
“Three weeks before he left.”
“He never told me.”
Marcus looked at her.
“He didn't need your signature.”
“Why?”
“Because the voting agreement was temporarily amended.”
Serena's stomach tightened.
“By whom?”
Marcus turned the page.
“Lucian.”
Serena read the document.
He had signed it.
But her name appeared in a second column.
Her signature was there.
Serena stared.
“I didn't sign this.”
Marcus examined it.
“I know.”
“Then someone forged it.”
The room went silent.
Serena felt cold.
“Who?”
Marcus didn't answer.
They already had a likely suspect.
Bianca.
But a forged signature was not just betrayal.
It was criminal.
Serena called Lucian.
He answered immediately.
“What happened?”
“Did you alter the South Harbor agreement?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“Did I sign anything?”
“No.”
“Then why is my signature on it?”
Lucian stopped breathing.
“What?”
“Someone forged my signature.”
“Send me a copy.”
She did.
Thirty seconds later, Lucian called again.
“That signature isn't real.”
“I know.”
“I never saw this version.”
“Who did?”
Lucian's silence was answer enough.
“Bianca?”
“I don't know.”
“You will.”
“Serena.”
“What?”
“Don't do anything alone.”
She almost laughed.
“You didn't say that when you flew away.”
He flinched.
“I deserve that.”
“Yes.”
Then she said:
“I need you to understand something.”
“What?”
“I'm protecting the company.”
“I know.”
“I'm protecting Adrian.”
“I know.”
“And I'm protecting myself.”
“I know.”
“Whether you are part of that protection or outside of it depends entirely on what you do next.”
Lucian spoke softly.
“I understand.”
He ended the call.
Within two hours, he confronted Bianca.
She was in his downtown office.
She had been waiting.
“You finally called.”
Lucian closed the door.
“Did you forge Serena's signature?”
Bianca looked surprised.
“Why would I?”
“Answer me.”
She stood.
“Your wife is manipulating you.”
“Answer me.”
“I don't know anything about a signature.”
“Victor does.”
Bianca's face changed.
“Leave my brother out of this.”
Lucian noticed.
“That means he knows.”
“He knows nothing.”
“You just admitted he might.”
“Lucian.”
He stepped closer.
“What did you do?”
Bianca's eyes filled.
“I loved you.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“You told me your marriage was dead.”
“I lied.”
She flinched.
“You told me Serena knew about us.”
“I lied.”
“You told me she was staying because of money.”
“I lied.”
Bianca's face hardened.
“You're cruel.”
“No.”
Lucian's voice dropped.
“I was weak.”
She turned away.
Then she said:
“You never would have left her.”
Lucian didn't answer.
“You loved her too much.”
“That's not the point.”
“It is.”
“What did you want?”
Bianca laughed bitterly.
“I wanted you.”
“For what?”
She looked at him.
“For everything.”
Lucian understood.
“You wanted the company.”
“I wanted security.”
“South Harbor?”
Her silence confirmed it.
“Victor?”
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Lucian felt sick.
“How much did you promise him?”
“Enough.”
“To betray me?”
“I thought you were going to choose me.”
“You never asked me to choose. You planned for me to lose.”
Bianca stared at him.
Then she said the sentence that would shake him.
“Your wife didn't realize she was the one who built the empire.”
Lucian went still.
“What?”
Bianca smiled faintly.
“She was the only reason you had something worth stealing.”
He stared at her.
For the first time, he understood the true scale of what Serena had quietly built.
And for the first time, Bianca's fear was not about losing Lucian.
It was about losing access.
Lucian walked out.
By midnight, Victor Romano had disappeared.
His offices were empty.
His phone was off.
And a message arrived on Lucian's encrypted line.
You should have stayed with your wife.
Lucian read it twice.
Then he called Serena.
She answered.
“I don't think Bianca was working alone.”
“I know.”
“How bad?”
“Very.”
“Serena?”
“Yes?”
“Take Adrian and leave Manhattan.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“You don't get to tell me where to live.”
“I'm not trying to control you.”
“It sounds like it.”
“I think someone is coming after the South Harbor shares.”
Serena became silent.
Then she said:
“Let them come.”
Lucian frowned.
“What?”
“I moved the shares two weeks ago.”
Silence.
“You did what?”
Serena looked down at Adrian.
“I told you I had been acting.”
Then she hung up.
Lucian stared at his phone.
May you like
For the first time in his life, he realized he had underestimated his wife.
That might have been the most dangerous mistake he ever made.
