Chapter 6 - THE MAN WHO HAD TAUGHT HIM TO DOUBT ME
Damian spent the next two days reviewing the diary.
He did not read every page.
At some point, he understood that the rest belonged to me.
But what he'd already seen forced him to reconsider his marriage.
And his family.
One name appeared repeatedly in the entries.
Victor Salerno.
Damian's chief operations officer.
His closest adviser after his late father.
The man who handled the harbor contracts.
Victor had been part of the Romano organization for twenty-five years.
Damian trusted him with money, schedules, security, and decisions.
The diary mentioned Victor's advice.
Victor says Emma spends too much time alone.
Victor thinks Grace is a bad influence.
Victor says Damian needs a wife who understands discretion.
Victor told Damian I was exaggerating about the canceled benefit.
Damian stared at the entries.
He remembered Victor's voice.
Always reasonable.
Always concerned.
Always ready to explain why Emma was too emotional to understand the demands of their world.
That evening, Damian called Victor into his office.
Victor arrived smiling.
“Boss. I heard Emma's taking a little vacation.”
Damian looked up.
“Who told you?”
Victor shrugged.
“People talk.”
Damian stared.
“Why have you been discussing my marriage?”
Victor laughed.
“Come on, Damian. You know Emma.”
“No,” Damian said quietly. “Apparently I don't.”
Victor's smile faded.
Damian placed a folder on the desk.
It contained records from the winter benefit.
Invoices.
Emails.
A payment authorization.
The documents showed that Olivia had changed the date.
And that Victor had approved an internal report blaming Emma.
Victor glanced at the folder.
“That's ancient history.”
Damian leaned forward.
“Why did you help Olivia lie?”
Victor sighed.
“Because your sister was unstable, and Emma could handle a little embarrassment.”
Damian stared.
Victor continued.
“She was useful that way.”
The room went silent.
“Useful,” Damian repeated.
Victor realized he'd said too much.
“Damian, don't twist my words.”
But Damian was no longer listening to the excuse.
He was remembering every time Victor had described my concerns as inconvenient.
Every time he'd encouraged Damian to dismiss me.
Every time he'd turned my silence into proof that nothing was wrong.
“Leave,” Damian said.
Victor frowned.
“Excuse me?”
“Leave my office.”
Victor stood.
His expression hardened.
“You're making a mistake over a woman who's manipulating you.”
Damian rose slowly.
“No, Victor.”
He looked at the man who had spent years shaping his judgment.
“My mistake was letting you tell me what my wife felt instead of asking her.”
Victor walked out.
But as he reached the door, he turned.
“You think Emma is innocent of everything?”
Damian went still.
Victor smiled.
“Ask her about the harbor account.”
Then he left.
Damian stared at the closed door.
The harbor account.
A private fund connected to several construction contracts.
Money had been disappearing from it for months.
Victor had blamed accounting errors.
Now he was suggesting Emma knew something.
Damian looked toward the sea.
May you like
For the first time, he wondered whether his marriage had been damaged by more than neglect.
Whether someone had deliberately helped destroy it.
