Chapter 7
Marco stopped cooperating voluntarily.
Everything began moving through attorneys.
The foundation suspended him from all duties.
Auditors froze payments involving the disputed vendors.
Several projects stalled.
Employees became nervous.
Family members began calling Domenico.
Some accused him of using Elena’s death to destroy Marco.
Others quietly admitted they had questioned Marco’s spending for years.
Domenico listened to both.
He trusted neither automatically.
Then the missing vehicle was located.
It had been sold nine months after Elena’s death.
The buyer still owned it.
Investigators examined maintenance records.
Nothing proved it had been involved in Elena’s crash.
But the onboard navigation history had once been serviced after “memory corruption” three days after she died.
Marco personally authorized the work.
That was suspicious.
Still not proof.
Camilla began unraveling.
She called Domenico late one evening.
“I told him where she was.”
Domenico sat upright.
“What?”
“Elena.”
Camilla was crying.
“She told me she had stopped near the old overlook.”
Domenico felt cold.
“And you told Marco.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted him to go talk to her.”
Domenico stood.
“You just said Marco was upstairs.”
“He was.”
“You knew Elena thought he was following her.”
“I thought she was wrong.”
“So you sent him to her.”
“I thought if they talked, this would end.”
Domenico closed his eyes.
Camilla had not merely ignored Elena’s request for help.
She had told the man Elena feared exactly where to find her.
“What happened next?”
“I don't know.”
“Camilla.”
“I swear.”
Marco left in the company sedan.
Camilla waited.
He returned almost ninety minutes later.
Wet.
Angry.
He told her Elena refused to listen and drove away.
Twenty minutes later the family received notice about the crash.
Camilla had never told police Marco went after her.
“Why?”
Her answer came through sobbing.
“Because he said they’d blame him.”
Domenico sat down.
“And you believed him.”
“I was his wife.”
Domenico stared into the dark room.
May you like
Elena had died.
Camilla had chosen marriage over truth.
