Chapter 4 - The Shares He Thought He Owned
Serena had moved the South Harbor shares before Lucian even left for Europe.
She had seen the unusual amendments.
She had noticed payments routed through companies she did not recognize.
She had tracked Bianca's calendar.
She had quietly instructed Marcus to move the most vulnerable assets into a protected structure.
Lucian had interpreted her recent silence as emotional exhaustion.
In reality, she had been preparing.
Two weeks earlier, she had sat in Marcus's office holding Adrian in one arm while signing documents with the other.
“This is legal?” she had asked.
“Yes.”
“Clean?”
“Completely.”
“Will Lucian know?”
“Not unless someone tells him.”
Serena had nodded.
“Then don't tell him.”
Now, standing in the nursery while Adrian slept, she watched the financial storm begin.
The phone rang.
Marcus.
“They filed.”
“Who?”
“Victor's company.”
“Against South Harbor?”
“Yes.”
Serena smiled faintly.
“They're too late.”
“I know.”
“What else?”
“There is an emergency request to freeze several accounts.”
“Whose?”
“Yours.”
Serena's smile disappeared.
“My personal accounts?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“They've alleged you moved assets improperly in anticipation of divorce.”
Serena stared at Adrian.
“Did I?”
“No.”
“Then let them prove it.”
Marcus hesitated.
“There is another issue.”
“What?”
“They have copies of private messages.”
“With whom?”
“Bianca.”
Serena's stomach tightened.
“I haven't spoken to her.”
“I know.”
“Then what messages?”
Marcus sent the file.
Serena opened it.
Her name appeared repeatedly.
She read the messages.
I want the South Harbor documents.
You're right, Serena is the obstacle.
We can force her signature.
The messages were between Bianca and Victor.
But Serena noticed something.
One message contained a detail only someone with access to Lucian's internal operations could know.
She called Lucian.
“Did Bianca have access to your internal servers?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“You gave her access?”
“No.”
“Then someone inside did.”
Serena closed her eyes.
The problem was bigger.
There was an internal leak.
Someone had been feeding Victor information for months.
Marcus traced the access logs.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Tomas Vale.
Serena stared.
“Lucian's lieutenant?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Why?”
“He protected me during my pregnancy.”
“That doesn't mean anything.”
“It does to me.”
“Then we verify.”
They did.
Tomas had accessed files he was not authorized to open.
But when questioned, he claimed he had done it to protect Lucian.
“From what?” Serena asked.
He looked exhausted.
“From Victor.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Explain.”
“Tomas had discovered Bianca meeting Victor.”
“And he didn't tell Lucian?”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Why didn't he?”
Tomas handed over his phone.
There were voice messages.
Lucian dismissing his warnings.
You're overthinking it.
Don't involve Serena.
I'll handle it.
Serena looked at Marcus.
Tomas wasn't the traitor.
He had been trying to warn Lucian.
The real betrayal came from somewhere else.
They traced the money.
The trail ended at the office of Lucian's chief financial officer.
Daniel Voss.
A man who had worked with Lucian for twelve years.
He had quietly redirected funds.
He had created fake invoices.
He had moved money into companies controlled by Victor.
Serena whispered:
“Twelve years.”
Marcus nodded.
“People can hide for a long time.”
Daniel fled before law enforcement could reach him.
Now Victor was missing.
Bianca was under investigation.
Daniel was gone.
The Moretti organization was suddenly unstable.
Lucian came to Serena's apartment one night.
She opened the door.
He looked exhausted.
“I found Daniel.”
“Where?”
“His house in Connecticut.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“What did he tell you?”
Lucian stepped inside.
“He said Victor planned everything six months ago.”
Serena folded her arms.
“Why?”
“To buy South Harbor.”
“That doesn't explain Bianca.”
Lucian looked away.
“Bianca was supposed to help him isolate me from you.”
Serena's expression hardened.
“And?”
“He needed you to leave me.”
“Why?”
“Because they believed I would panic and sell.”
Serena laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was absurd.
“They believed I was the weak one.”
Lucian looked at her.
“They were wrong.”
“Yes.”
He stared at Adrian's empty crib.
“I was wrong too.”
Serena didn't answer.
Lucian continued.
“I thought you were sensitive because you cared.”
“What did you think you were?”
“Strong.”
She looked at him.
“You weren't strong.”
“I know.”
“You were careless.”
“I know.”
“You thought because I would forgive you, I couldn't leave you.”
His eyes lifted.
“I was wrong.”
Serena was quiet.
Then she said:
“I want full separation of our businesses.”
Lucian nodded.
“Okay.”
“You will not challenge my ownership.”
“Okay.”
“You will see Adrian according to a schedule until I know you can be consistent.”
“Okay.”
“You will have no access to my personal accounts.”
“Okay.”
She blinked.
“That's it?”
He nodded.
“I don't want to fight you anymore.”
“You're giving me everything?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I'm returning what was already yours.”
That answer surprised her.
Lucian reached into his coat.
He placed a file on the table.
Inside were signed documents transferring several company interests to Serena.
She looked at him.
“You didn't have to.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because every time I look at you, I remember you built those.”
His voice broke.
“And every time I look at Adrian, I remember I almost missed the moment he took his first breath because I was too selfish to get on a plane.”
Serena looked down.
For a second, she wanted to cross the room.
Instead, she stayed where she was.
“Thank you.”
Lucian nodded.
Then he turned toward the door.
“Lucian?”
He stopped.
Serena held out her hand.
“Adrian can see you tomorrow.”
His eyes closed.
“Thank you.”
He left.
Serena watched through the window.
She wasn't ready to forgive him.
But she had stopped wishing he would suffer.
That was different.
The following morning, Daniel Voss was found dead.
A single shot.
No witnesses.
Lucian received the call while holding Adrian.
His face changed.
“What happened?”
Tomas explained.
Lucian looked at his son.
Then at Serena.
“This is not over.”
Serena nodded.
“What happens next?”
Lucian's voice went cold.
“Victor isn't running anymore.”
He looked toward the city.
“He's hunting.”
And Serena suddenly understood.
May you like
Their marriage had become a battlefield.
But now their son had become the one thing everyone wanted to control.
