Chapter 9 - Before the Number
The night before the hearing, Francesca came to my house.
Not inside.
Front gate.
Rafe called me.
“Your mother is here. No weapons. Alone.”
I almost told him send her away.
Then decided to meet outside.
Not Emery.
Not house.
I walked to the gate.
Francesca stood beneath an umbrella.
No pearls.
No heels.
A wool coat.
She looked older.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know.”
“What?”
“Withdraw your opposition to my settlement.”
“What settlement?”
“Neutralize Emery’s voting rights until twenty-five. She keeps economic value. You keep your current shares. Dante keeps his.”
“That’s not mine to agree alone.”
“You’re her father.”
“Laura represents her property interest.”
Francesca’s mouth tightened.
“Strangers again.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Salvatore, listen to me. Your father’s plan could put you and Emery together over fifty percent.”
There.
First approximate clue.
Not exact.
“Could?”
“Depending the formula.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw a draft.”
“When?”
“Before he sealed it.”
“Did you destroy anything?”
“No.”
“Did you take A-24?”
“No.”
“Did you search for ring?”
“Yes.”
Finally.
“Why?”
“I wanted access before you.”
“Why?”
“Because if I could prove he was irrational, I could stop it quietly.”
There.
Quietly.
Family.
Then:
“You assaulted Emery because you were looking for the ring.”
Francesca closed eyes.
“I lost control.”
“You called her charity.”
“I know.”
“Do you believe it?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
My chest went cold.
Then:
“I love her in ways.”
“No.”
“You don’t get to tell me—”
“I do if the sentence begins with love after you throw her on a floor because she isn’t blood.”
Francesca’s face hardened.
“I raised you to understand what family meant.”
“You raised me to confuse ownership with belonging.”
She flinched.
Then:
“Claire put that language in you.”
“No. Dad did. You just hated hearing it from her.”
Rain struck umbrella.
Francesca said:
“Tomorrow if you take control, Dante will never trust you.”
“I am not taking anything tomorrow.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No. I don’t.”
Then:
“You’ll have power.”
There.
Her fear.
Not Emery’s money.
My power through Emery.
She believed Giovanni had built a majority around my branch.
“Did Dad mean for me to vote her shares?”
“Partly.”
I frowned.
Laura said independent custody.
Francesca continued:
“The draft gave you a proxy under certain board conditions.”
“What conditions?”
She looked away.
There.
She knew more.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Then leave.”
She stepped closer to gate.
“If you use that proxy to remove me—”
“Go home.”
“You owe me—”
“No.”
The word.
She stared.
Then:
“Your father said no to me for the first time because of Claire and that girl.”
I looked at her.
“Maybe he finally needed a reason.”
She left.
No threats.
No chase.
At home, Rafe asked:
“Everything okay?”
“No.”
“Danger?”
“No.”
Then I called Evelyn and disclosed conversation.
Of course.
One phrase mattered:
Proxy under certain board conditions.
The lawyers checked A-24.
There was indeed conditional proxy language, but effect not yet calculated.
Then Laura called.
“Tomorrow, if the court confirms, you may receive temporary proxy authority over part of Emery’s voting interest.”
I sat.
“Why me?”
“Giovanni named you first proxy only if independent board certifies you remain CEO in good standing and have no unresolved fiduciary conflict involving DeLuca Group.”
“Do I?”
“No current group conflict.”
Then:
“Foundation? Not this story. Sorry. Our story only group. No such issue.”
Good.
Then if I were removed?
Proxy moves to independent fiduciary.
Not personal ownership.
Temporary stewardship.
Francesca had been fighting not a permanent child dictatorship.
A structured check.
Then Laura said:
“You must understand this proxy is not yours.”
“Yes.”
“Say it again.”
“It is not mine.”
Good.
Then she told me the court would disclose exact economics and voting effect tomorrow.
I slept badly.
At breakfast Emery asked:
“Grandma coming?”
“No.”
“Good.”
No nuance.
Children can have boundaries adults find rude.
Then:
“Ring?”
“Safe.”
“Horse?”
“In your room.”
“Good.”
May you like
Everything important to her was already resolved.
The adults were about to learn the rest.
