Chapter 5 - THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS NEVER AN ACCIDENT|
Clara stared at the photograph for nearly a minute.
Aurelio was wearing the same charcoal coat she remembered from the night he proposed. His hair was slightly longer, and his expression was serious.
The woman beside him was holding a thick legal folder.
Clara turned the photograph over.
The date was November 18.
The proposal had happened on November 18.
She opened the door.
Valentina was still standing outside.
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Sofia Bellini."
"What does she have to do with Aurelio?"
"Everything."
Valentina stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.
"Sofia was a financial investigator. She worked for a private firm hired by my father to examine the Marchetti accounts."
Clara looked at the photograph again.
"Why was Aurelio meeting her?"
"Because she discovered the missing money."
"And?"
"And she disappeared two days later."
Clara felt her stomach tighten.
"Are you accusing Aurelio of hurting her?"
"I'm telling you that he was the last person publicly seen with her."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Valentina walked toward the window.
"Because my father wants the Bellara agreement signed. Aurelio wants the company. And both families are willing to sacrifice anyone standing between them."
Clara crossed her arms.
"You expect me to believe you're suddenly concerned about me?"
"No."
Valentina turned.
"I expect you to understand that I don't want to become the next woman they blame."
For the first time, Clara saw something beneath Valentina's arrogance.
Fear.
"Why did you take my seat?"
Valentina's expression hardened.
"Because I was told to."
"By whom?"
"Aurelio."
Clara looked away.
Valentina continued.
"He wanted to see whether you would leave. If you stayed, the families would assume you accepted the arrangement. If you walked out, he could tell everyone you were emotionally unstable and remove you from the negotiations."
Clara felt sick.
"So the entire dinner was a test?"
"It was a performance."
"And you agreed to play your part."
Valentina didn't deny it.
Clara walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.
"Get out."
Valentina reached into her handbag.
"I brought you something."
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
"Sofia sent this to me before she disappeared."
Clara didn't touch it.
"Why not give it to the police?"
"Because my father has people inside the department."
"Then why give it to me?"
"Because you have something they don't."
"What?"
Valentina looked directly into her eyes.
"An identity they haven't completely destroyed yet."
After Valentina left, Clara called Daniel.
He arranged for a digital forensics specialist to examine the drive.
They met in a secure office that evening.
The drive contained audio files, financial spreadsheets, and photographs of several private meetings.
One recording was dated three days before Aurelio's proposal.
Clara pressed play.
A man's voice filled the room.
"We need someone outside the family. Someone with a clean record."
Another voice answered.
"Then use the girl."
Clara stopped breathing.
The second voice belonged to Aurelio.
"She knows accounting. She has no criminal history. If the transfer goes wrong, the documents will lead straight to her."
Daniel paused the recording.
"Clara, we should stop."
She shook her head.
"Keep going."
The recording resumed.
Aurelio's voice became clearer.
"Once the Bellara deal is finished, I'll make sure she never has to worry about money again."
Someone laughed.
"And if she discovers the truth?"
There was a brief silence.
Then Aurelio answered.
"She won't."
Clara stared at the laptop.
The man who had promised her a future had discussed her like an expendable asset.
Daniel closed the file.
"I'm sorry."
Clara didn't cry.
She simply removed the engagement ring from her handbag and placed it on the table.
"Find me a lawyer."
Daniel nodded.
Then his phone vibrated.
He checked the screen and went pale.
"What is it?" Clara asked.
He turned the phone toward her.
A breaking news alert showed Aurelio Marchetti entering a police station.
The headline read:
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MAFIA HEIR'S FIANCÉE QUESTIONED IN $18 MILLION FRAUD INVESTIGATION.
Clara's photograph appeared beneath it.
