The Brother Behind the Throne
Chapter 11 - The Brother Behind the Throne
Dominic Hale controlled more of the Vance freight operation than Salvatore had understood. During the years after Elena's death, the board had deferred decisions to him while Salvatore pursued overseas acquisitions. It had felt efficient then. Now it looked reckless.
Independent auditors documented unusual vendor contracts and inconsistent approvals. The company's compliance committee restricted certain authority pending review. Dominic protested publicly and threatened litigation. His attorney asserted that every transaction had a legitimate purpose.
Salvatore knew that accusations were not verdicts. He instructed his team to preserve evidence, cooperate with lawful inquiries, and avoid declaring guilt before the findings were established. Still, Dominic's behavior made one fact impossible to ignore: the people Salvatore had trusted to run his household and business had accumulated enormous power while he grieved.
One afternoon Dominic called him directly. “You think the boy understands what he's saying?”
Salvatore went still. “Nicholas is a child recovering from an injury. You will not contact him.”
“Vanessa was trying to discipline him.”
“I saw what happened.”
“You saw a moment.”
“And I have spent weeks learning about many others.”
Dominic lowered his voice. “Be careful, Sal. All of us have things we'd rather keep private.”
Salvatore ended the call and passed the details to Dana. He refused to play Dominic's game of veiled threats.
That night Nicholas found him in the kitchen cutting apples. The boy asked whether Salvatore had ever been frightened of another grown-up.
“Yes,” Salvatore said.
“But you're big.”
“Big people can be afraid too.”
“Then how do they get safe?”
“By asking for help and making good choices.”
May you like
Nicholas considered this, then handed him the smaller apple slice. “You can have mine. It's the brave one.”
Salvatore ate it with the solemn gratitude the gift deserved.
