Chapter 5 - DANIELA HEARS THE TRUTH
Lucia took Daniela to a quiet family consultation room before anyone else could answer. The room contained two couches, a box of tissues, a faded landscape print, and the particular sadness of places built for difficult conversations.
Teresa followed but stopped in the doorway when Lucia raised a hand. “Give us five minutes.” Teresa looked offended, then tired. She left. Daniela sat on the couch with the stuffed rabbit pressed to her chest.
“Is Dad going to die?” “No.” Lucia sat beside her. “He is hurt, but the doctors expect him to recover.” Daniela nodded rapidly, trying to believe it. “And Valeria?” Lucia chose her words carefully. “She was in the accident too.”
“Grandma said she’s pregnant.” Lucia closed her eyes for one second. “Grandma should not have told you like that.” “She didn’t. I heard her talking to Aunt Rosa.” Of course.
Children always heard the sentence adults whispered. Daniela stared at the rabbit’s worn ear. “Is the baby Dad’s?” Lucia had performed emergency thoracotomies with less dread than she felt in that moment. “Yes.” Daniela’s face crumpled.
“Did he cheat on you?” Lucia’s throat tightened. “Yes.” The girl looked toward the floor. “Are you leaving?” The question was so small that it broke something. “I’m leaving the marriage.” Daniela began to cry.
Lucia moved closer. “I am not leaving you.” “But Dad will make you.” “We don’t know that.” “He gets mean when he’s scared.” Lucia looked at her. Daniela seemed surprised she had said it aloud. “What do you mean?”
The girl rubbed her face with her sleeve. “Not hitting. He never hits me. He just… says things. Like if I want to sleep at Emma’s house, he says maybe I like Emma’s family better. Or if I call you when he’s with me, he says I’m choosing you.”
Lucia felt anger rise slowly and cleanly. “Has he ever made you feel unsafe?” Daniela shook her head. “Just guilty.” Lucia wrapped an arm around her. “You are not responsible for making adults feel secure. Ever.”
Daniela leaned against her. Outside the room, a cart rattled down the hallway. A baby cried somewhere near labor and delivery. Life continued with terrible indifference. “Can I see him?” Daniela asked. “Yes. But not yet. He’s tired.”
“Can I see Valeria?” That answer surprised Lucia. “Why?” Daniela shrugged. “I don’t know.” Lucia thought about it. “She is recovering from surgery. Maybe later, if she agrees.” Daniela stared at the rabbit again. “Do I have to hate her?”
“No.” “Do you hate her?” Lucia took longer to answer. “I hate what happened. I don’t know her well enough to hate her.” It was the most honest thing she could say.
By noon, the hospital had settled into its daytime rhythm. News of the crash had begun traveling through Marcus’s business circle. Lucia learned this when Naomi called. “You need to sit down,” the lawyer said. “I’m already standing.”
“Then keep standing.” Lucia walked into an empty stairwell. “The audit committee met at nine. They found enough preliminary evidence to suspend Marcus as CEO pending investigation.” Lucia closed her eyes. “How bad?”
“Worse than we thought.” “How much?” “Over eight hundred thousand dollars in transfers that need explanation.” Lucia gripped the railing. “That can’t be right.”
“There are payments to Valeria’s consulting company, luxury travel, a lease on a condo in River North, and two wire transfers to an account we haven’t identified.” “Was Valeria involved?” “We don’t know. Don’t assume.” Lucia thought of the woman in recovery saying Marcus had lied about being separated.
“What happens now?” “The board takes control. Forensic accountants continue. Your divorce petition proceeds. And Marcus is going to realize very quickly that being injured does not stop legal deadlines.” Lucia looked through the narrow stairwell window at snow drifting between buildings.
“Daniela is here.” Naomi went quiet. “Does she know?” “Enough.” “I’m sorry.” “So am I.” After the call, Lucia returned to Valeria’s floor. Valeria was more awake now. Her face tightened when Lucia entered, not from fear exactly, but shame.
“I told the nurse I wanted to speak with you,” Valeria said. “I know.” “I need to tell you something about the company.” Lucia pulled a chair closer. Valeria stared at the IV taped to her hand.
“I wasn’t just his mistress.” Lucia’s expression hardened. Valeria looked up quickly. “I mean, I was. I’m not denying that. But I was also keeping records.” “What kind of records?” “Payments. Emails. Contracts.”
“Why?” “Because three months ago I realized he was using my company to move money.” Lucia felt a chill. “Did you know at first?” “No. He told me the payments were legitimate consulting fees.
Then he asked me to send some of the money to a vendor in Nevada.” “Did you?” “Once.” Lucia said nothing. Valeria’s eyes filled. “I knew it was wrong. I told him I wouldn’t do it again.”
“What happened to the money?” “I sent it back.” “You have proof?” Valeria nodded. “On my laptop. And there’s more.” She lowered her voice even though no one else was near. “Marcus wasn’t trying to hide only the affair.”
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Lucia leaned forward. “What was he hiding?” Valeria looked toward the door. “A deal.” “What deal?” “A sale of the company’s patent portfolio.” Lucia’s stomach tightened. “To whom?” “I don’t know the real buyer.” “You worked for him.”
“I worked around him.” Valeria closed her eyes, exhausted. “He said once the sale closed, you wouldn’t be able to stop him.” Lucia felt the room change. “When was it supposed to close?” Valeria opened her eyes. “Tomorrow.”
