Chapter 5 - The Secret in Emma's Family
Emma's mother had died when Emma was seventeen.
At least, that was what Emma believed.
Dante asked for every record.
Hospital files.
Death certificate.
Insurance documents.
Old photographs.
Something was wrong.
The death certificate had been filed six months after the supposed date of death.
Emma stared at it.
“That can't be right.”
Dante pointed to the signature.
“Forged.”
Emma's breathing became shallow.
“Then where is my mother?”
“We don't know.”
Dante assigned Mason, his head of security, to investigate.
Within hours, they discovered something stranger.
Emma's mother had been involved with the Salvatore family.
Not romantically.
Professionally.
She had worked for Dante's father.
She had discovered financial records showing that someone inside the Salvatore organization had been secretly funding Victor Valenti.
Dante's father had ordered an investigation.
Before it finished, Emma's mother disappeared.
Dante looked at Emma.
“My family thought she betrayed us.”
“She didn't.”
“No.”
He handed Emma an old photograph.
Her mother stood beside Dante's father.
Between them was a young boy.
Derek.
Emma stared.
“Derek was involved too?”
“His father was.”
Derek's father had been a financial adviser to Dante's family.
He had helped hide the Valenti payments.
Derek had inherited the consequences without understanding the full story.
But someone had kept the secret alive.
Dante realized the same person who had manipulated Derek had also manipulated Emma.
And possibly him.
That night, Emma found something beneath the hospital bed.
A small envelope.
Her name was written on it.
Inside was a photograph of Sophia.
Taken before Sophia was born.
On the back were four words:
She was always his daughter.
Emma looked at Dante.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“Then someone else did.”
Dante took the photograph.
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The date was three years old.
Before Emma even knew she was pregnant.
