Chapter 15 - THE MAN DANTE TRUSTED MOSTVictor came to the mansion after midnight.
Dante had not summoned him.
Victor came because he knew.
“You’re investigating me.”
Dante stood in the study.
“Yes.”
“After twenty-five years.”
“Yes.”
“Because of a street kid.”
“No.”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“Come on.”
Dante’s face remained cold.
“Because of records.”
Victor poured himself a drink without asking.
Old habit.
That irritated Dante suddenly.
Everything about familiarity did.
“You think I hurt Rosalie.”
“I think you withheld information.”
“For her own good.”
Dante stared.
Victor continued.
“You were destroyed after Isabella died.”
“Do not use her.”
“I kept this family functioning.”
“You kept me dependent on you.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“That’s insulting.”
“Is it?”
“I handled doctors. Lawyers. Security. Trusts.”
“Exactly.”
“Because you asked me.”
“I asked for help.”
Dante stepped closer.
“I did not ask you to decide what I was allowed to know.”
Victor looked away.
“Kerwin said the Boston consult was nonsense.”
“Then why hide it?”
“You would have chased every possibility.”
“Yes.”
“And dragged Rosalie through hell.”
“That was my decision.”
Victor snapped:
“You weren’t capable of making decisions!”
Silence.
There.
Victor realized.
Too late.
Dante’s voice lowered.
“You decided I was weak.”
“I decided you were grieving.”
“So you replaced my judgment with yours.”
“I protected you.”
Dante almost smiled.
He had heard that phrase recently.
From himself.
To Rosalie.
Protection becoming control.
The difference was that Dante had not profited from Rosalie’s dependence.
Victor had.
Dante placed the trust records on the desk.
Victor’s face changed.
“You think that’s why?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“You think I kept her sick for money?”
“Did you?”
“No!”
Victor’s anger seemed genuine.
Dante believed part of it.
Maybe Victor had not caused the illness.
Maybe he had not wanted Rosalie disabled.
But once the situation existed, he benefited.
And he controlled information that might have changed it.
“Why did you stop the consults?”
Victor sat.
For the first time, he looked old.
“Because Kerwin said the prognosis wouldn’t change.”
“And you believed him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why hide the reports from me?”
Victor whispered:
“Because I knew you wouldn’t.”
May you like
Dante stared.
That was betrayal enough.
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