Chapter 8 - The Price of a Moretti Name
The first federal subpoena arrived before breakfast.
By noon, Moretti Global's board had called an emergency meeting.
By three, Alexander had been placed on administrative leave.
And by evening, every major business publication in Chicago was asking the same question.
Had Alexander Moretti knowingly allowed millions of dollars to disappear through a medical research company?
I watched the coverage from my living room.
For five years, I had defended Alexander against people who called him ruthless.
Now I watched strangers dissect his life.
And I felt nothing resembling satisfaction.
Only exhaustion.
Daniel arrived with a folder.
“Claire, we have a problem.”
I muted the television.
“What kind?”
“Victor's attorneys are claiming the transfers were authorized by you.”
I stared at him.
“Through the forged documents?”
“Yes.”
“Then prove they're forged.”
“We're working on it. But the original digital records are missing.”
My stomach tightened.
“Missing?”
“The filing system shows the authorization was uploaded through an internal account. The source file has been deleted.”
“Can it be recovered?”
“Possibly.”
He hesitated.
“There's another issue.”
I waited.
“Victor has offered investigators a cooperation agreement.”
“Against Alexander?”
“Potentially.”
I stood.
“So he's going to blame everything on his nephew.”
“That appears to be his strategy.”
I walked toward the window.
Chicago glittered beneath a gray winter sky.
Somewhere in that city, Alexander was losing the empire he had spent his adult life building.
And I hated that part of me still wanted to protect him.
Daniel seemed to read my thoughts.
“Claire, you don't owe him rescue.”
“I know.”
“But you do have an interest in protecting your family's assets.”
I turned.
“What are you suggesting?”
“We file a civil action to recover the transferred funds and seek an independent forensic review.”
“Do it.”
“And if the evidence clears Alexander?”
I thought for a moment.
“Then it clears him.”
Daniel nodded.
“That's the right answer.”
Two days later, the first major breakthrough came from someone I hadn't expected.
Ethan Hayes.
He contacted Daniel directly.
The boy who looked like Alexander asked to meet me.
I hesitated.
Then agreed, with Daniel present.
Ethan arrived wearing a dark hoodie and carrying a battered backpack.
He was taller than I expected.
And the resemblance to Alexander was even more striking in person.
“Mrs. Moretti?”
“Claire is fine.”
He sat awkwardly.
“Olivia said you might be willing to listen.”
“I am.”
He reached into his backpack.
Then placed a small external hard drive on the table.
“My uncle Victor gave me this.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“He said if anything happened to him, I should keep it safe.”
“When?”
“About six months ago.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“Have you looked at the contents?”
Ethan nodded.
“Some of it.”
“What did you find?”
“Videos. Documents. Recordings.”
He swallowed.
“There's one of Victor talking about Alexander.”
My pulse quickened.
“Talking about what?”
Ethan looked at me.
“About making sure Alexander never found out who really controlled Halcyon.”
Daniel carefully took the drive.
“We'll need to preserve this properly.”
Ethan nodded.
Then he looked at my stomach.
“Is the baby okay?”
I softened.
“Yes.”
He exhaled.
“Good.”
I studied him.
“Ethan, do you know why Victor gave you that drive?”
He hesitated.
“I think he wanted me to be afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of Alexander.”
My heart sank.
“He told me Alexander would never accept me because I'd threaten his inheritance.”
“Did you believe him?”
“For a while.”
“And now?”
Ethan looked down.
“Alexander saved my life when I was twelve. I didn't know who he was then. I just knew somebody paid for my treatment when nobody else would.”
I felt something twist inside my chest.
Alexander had done something good.
Quietly.
Without recognition.
And still managed to destroy our marriage through secrecy and arrogance.
Both truths could exist.
That night, Daniel called.
His voice was urgent.
“Claire, the drive contains recordings of Victor discussing the financial transfers.”
“Can they prove Alexander was framed?”
“They may help. But there's something else.”
“What?”
“A recording made eighteen months ago.”
I sat down.
Daniel continued.
“Victor is speaking to a woman about your pregnancy.”
My heart stopped.
“Eighteen months ago? I wasn't pregnant then.”
“I know.”
“Who was the woman?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then said, “We haven't confirmed her identity. But Victor refers to her as the person responsible for making sure you and Alexander eventually had a child.”
I stared into the darkness.
“What does that mean?”
“I don't know yet.”
A pause.
Then Daniel added, “Claire, there's a second voice on the recording.”
May you like
“Whose?”
“Someone who knew your family's private medical history.”
