Chapter 6 - The Family Betrayal
Paolo Rizzano had once been the person Alessandro trusted most.
They had grown up together, learned the family business side by side, and stood shoulder to shoulder when Alessandro's father died. But when the estate was divided, Paolo believed he deserved a larger share of the legitimate holdings.
The dispute had ended with Paolo leaving the organization.
Alessandro had considered the matter closed.
Now the photograph of Paolo beside Victor Sloane suggested that old grievances had survived.
“Where was this taken?” Alessandro asked.
“Outside a private club in Connecticut,” Matteo replied. “Three weeks ago.”
“Has Paolo returned to the country?”
“We're verifying that.”
Alessandro looked again at the photograph.
“Don't approach him yet. I want to know what connects him to Bianca.”
Matteo nodded.
The inquiry had become more complicated, but Alessandro refused to let suspicion become certainty. Bianca's conduct toward Livia was established by witnesses and physical evidence. The wider financial questions still required proof.
He would not allow an old family feud to distract him from his daughter.
Meanwhile, Bianca was not prepared to disappear quietly.
She released a carefully worded statement through a public relations firm, describing the canceled wedding as a painful misunderstanding. She said she loved children, regretted that Livia had been upset, and hoped the family would eventually heal.
The statement did not mention the clippers.
It did not mention the severed hair.
It described the incident as an unfortunate disagreement over the flower girl's appearance.
Within hours, several gossip websites repeated the statement. Some commentators portrayed Bianca as a humiliated bride. Others questioned why a three-year-old had been alone with her.
Alessandro declined to make a public accusation.
Instead, Michael issued a brief response confirming that the wedding had been canceled and that the family would not discuss a minor child's private distress in the media.
The restraint frustrated Bianca.
She called Alessandro repeatedly. When he did not answer, she sent a message.
You are allowing strangers to destroy my reputation. If you loved me, you would tell them the truth.
He replied only once.
The truth is that you frightened my daughter. Do not contact her or come to the estate. All further communication must go through counsel.
Then he blocked the number.
At home, Livia was making progress.
She had begun sleeping through the night again. She still asked whether Bianca might return, but the questions became less frequent. Dr. Brooks encouraged Alessandro and Rosalie to maintain predictable routines and avoid turning the child into the center of adult conflict.
So Alessandro changed his schedule.
He moved meetings out of the early morning. He delegated several routine decisions. He ate breakfast with Livia and personally walked her to the garden when the weather allowed.
At first, his staff were astonished to see the feared head of the Rizzano family carrying a basket of toy animals and listening to a three-year-old explain the rules of a game.
Alessandro did not care what they thought.
One morning, Livia asked him why he had so many phones.
“So people can reach me.”
“Do they call you when you're playing?”
“Sometimes.”
“Do you have to answer?”
“Not always.”
She considered that.
“Then you can play with me.”
He smiled.
“You're right.”
It was a small victory, but it mattered.
That afternoon, Michael delivered a report on the financial inquiry. Bianca's father had funded Sloane's consulting company through a chain of businesses. The payments were legal on their face, but the scope of the work included an analysis of the Rizzano trust structure and possible changes following Alessandro's marriage.
There was no proof that Paolo had directed the plan.
There was, however, evidence that he had introduced Bianca to Sloane.
“Paolo arranged their first meeting,” Michael said. “A former employee confirmed it.”
“Why?”
“We don't know yet.”
Alessandro closed the folder.
“Then we find out.”
Two days later, Paolo called.
His voice sounded older, but his arrogance remained.
“I hear you canceled the wedding.”
“You hear correctly.”
“Over a haircut?”
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
“You knew what happened?”
“I heard Bianca's version.”
“Then you heard a lie.”
Paolo sighed.
“Alessandro, you're allowing emotion to control you. Marriage is a strategic decision. Bianca's family could have opened doors you don't even realize are closed.”
“I don't marry people for doors.”
“You should.”
“And you should explain why you introduced my fiancée to Victor Sloane.”
The silence was immediate.
Paolo recovered quickly.
“I thought he could help with estate planning.”
“An estate planner who specializes in finding leverage?”
“That's an exaggeration.”
“Then tell me why Bianca believed she would gain authority over Livia's trust after the wedding.”
Paolo said nothing.
Alessandro continued.
“Did you know she was going to cut my daughter's hair?”
“No.”
“Did you encourage her to establish control over the household?”
“I encouraged her to understand that a family needs structure.”
“Structure is not cruelty.”
“Children adapt.”
“Not to people who frighten them.”
Paolo's voice sharpened.
“You've become weak, Alessandro. Your daughter is going to control every decision you make.”
“No,” Alessandro replied. “She has reminded me which decisions matter.”
He ended the call.
That evening, Matteo reported that Paolo had transferred money to one of Sloane's companies shortly after the wedding was announced. The transfer did not prove criminal intent, but it established a financial relationship that Paolo had denied.
Alessandro authorized Michael to preserve the records and refer any potentially unlawful activity to the appropriate authorities.
He would not settle this with violence.
If Paolo had betrayed him, the consequences would be legal, financial, and public.
Later, Rosalie found Alessandro in the nursery, sitting on the floor while Livia dressed her stuffed rabbit in a tiny sweater.
“May I speak with you?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“There's something I've been thinking about. Bianca often asked questions about Livia's routine. At first, I assumed she wanted to help.”
“What sort of questions?”
“Who takes her to appointments. Who has permission to collect her from school. Which relatives she trusts. Whether she has a passport.”
Alessandro's expression hardened.
“Did she ask whether anyone could take Livia away without my permission?”
Rosalie nodded slowly.
“Once. She asked whether the household had a written emergency plan.”
“Did you tell her?”
“I told her the basic safety procedures. Nothing private. But I didn't understand why she was so interested.”
Alessandro looked at the toys scattered across the rug.
Bianca had been studying the family long before the wedding. She had asked about Livia's trust, her routines, and the people who cared for her.
The haircut might have been an act of dominance, but the larger pattern suggested something more calculated.
That night, Michael called with a development.
“Paolo has retained a lawyer,” he said. “He claims he was only advising Bianca's family and had no intention of interfering with your affairs.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I believe we need more evidence.”
“Agreed.”
Michael paused.
“There is one other thing. Bianca's attorney has requested a private meeting. She says Bianca wants to make a full statement about what happened at the hotel.”
Alessandro looked toward the nursery door.
“Why now?”
“She says she has information about Paolo and Sloane.”
Alessandro thought about the anonymous photograph, the trust amendment, and Bianca's sudden effort to control the narrative.
“Tell her attorney we will listen through counsel. No private meeting, no direct contact, and no promises.”
When the call ended, Alessandro went upstairs.
Livia was already asleep, one hand resting on her stuffed rabbit.
He tucked the blanket around her and whispered the promise he had made on the morning of the wedding.
“Every step, sweetheart.”
But as he turned toward the door, his phone vibrated again.
This time, the message came from Bianca's attorney.
My client says Paolo has been lying to both of you. She says he planned to use the marriage to gain access to something far more valuable than the trust.
May you like
Alessandro stared at the screen.
For the first time, he wondered whether Bianca had been the architect of the scheme—or merely one of its willing participants.
