Chapter 13 - What They Could Prove
The practical consequences were slower and less satisfying than the emotional revelations.
Domenico learned that quickly.
The company attorney, Miriam Kaplan, reviewed the records and refused to make grand promises.
“You have strong grounds to terminate Marco’s employment,” she said. “You have strong grounds to demand repayment of unsupported payments. But do not assume every suspicious invoice automatically becomes criminal fraud.”
Domenico appreciated her restraint.
Camilla did too.
The electronic approval trail created another complication.
Her credentials appeared on several transactions.
She had knowingly approved some inflated invoices, though she had not known about all of them.
“If this turns into litigation,” Miriam told her, “your role will be examined.”
Camilla nodded.
“I understand.”
Domenico started to object.
She stopped him.
“No, Dad.”
He looked at her.
“I need you to stop rescuing me from consequences.”
The sentence embarrassed him because it was accurate.
They spent three days verifying what could actually be established.
The attempted fifty-four-thousand-dollar transfer had been stopped before leaving the company account.
The earlier inflated invoices totaled $26,840 above documented goods and services.
Of that amount, they could clearly connect $19,600 to Eric Nolan’s company.
Eric cooperated only after his own lawyer became involved.
He admitted paying Marco “consulting fees” from several transactions.
He produced invoices and bank records through counsel.
Those records established $14,200 in payments to Marco.
The rest remained murky.
Some supplier discrepancies could have been ordinary errors.
Some could not be tied directly to Marco.
Miriam warned Domenico not to inflate the claim out of anger.
“You want facts, not revenge.”
Domenico thought of Anthony Bellini.
Of old numbers blurred by shame and memory.
“Facts are enough.”
Marco’s attorney contacted them next.
Marco was willing to resign.
He was willing to repay the documented personal payments and cooperate in resolving the disputed invoices.
He was not willing to sign a statement calling every questionable charge theft.
That frustrated Domenico.
Miriam stopped him from turning frustration into bad strategy.
“You don’t need him to confess to language we can’t prove. You need enforceable repayment terms for what we can.”
Camilla listened quietly.
Then she asked, “What happens to me?”
Miriam answered with the same directness.
“Your father’s company can decide whether to pursue anything against you. Legally, your approvals matter. Factually, so does your cooperation and the evidence that your credentials were used without authorization for the larger attempted transfer.”
Domenico said, “I’m not suing my daughter.”
Miriam looked at him.
“That is your decision as owner. But document why. Otherwise employees may reasonably believe family receives different treatment.”
That stung.
Again because it was fair.
Domenico and Sharon drafted a written internal review.
Camilla’s resignation remained effective.
The company documented her policy violations.
No fiction that nothing had happened.
No special title waiting for her return.
No promise that she would inherit control someday.
For the first time, the future of DeLuca Architectural Millwork would be separated from what Domenico had once assumed his daughter would want.
That night, Camilla asked Marco to meet her in the townhouse they had shared.
She wanted to collect clothes.
He was already packing.
Not everything.
Just enough for an apartment.
“You don’t have to leave tonight,” she said.
He looked surprised.
“I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“I don’t know what I want.”
Marco nodded.
It was the first time he accepted an answer from her without trying to change it.
Then he handed her a folder.
Inside were printouts of every payment he could remember receiving through Eric.
Some matched Sharon’s records.
Two did not.
Camilla looked at him.
“Why are you giving me these?”
“Because if I’m going to keep saying my father should’ve told the truth, I probably have to stop hiding the parts that make me look worse.”
May you like
It did not repair their marriage.
But it was the first useful thing Marco had done after losing control of the story.
