Chapter 17: The Woman Behind the Forgery

The archive door slammed open.

Gianna stood in the doorway, breathless, one hand gripping the edge of the frame.

"Hollis."

He stared at her.

"What are you doing here?"

Her eyes moved quickly toward Matteo, then back to Hollis.

"I heard the alarm. I came to see what happened."

"At midnight? In a restricted archive?"

Gianna's face tightened.

"I was worried about you."

Hollis took one step toward her.

"Were you worried about me when someone used my credentials to move money into Rossi accounts?"

Her expression changed.

Only for a second.

But it was enough.

Matteo noticed it too.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gianna said.

"Then explain this."

Hollis held up one of the authorization forms.

Gianna looked at it.

Her face went pale.

"I didn't forge anything."

"I didn't ask whether you forged it."

He stepped closer.

"I asked why you were in this archive."

Silence filled the room.

Gianna finally whispered, "Because I was looking for something."

"What?"

"Documents."

"Which documents?"

She didn't answer.

Hollis's voice became colder.

"Gianna."

She looked at him, and for the first time, I imagined she understood that the man standing in front of her was no longer the Hollis who had defended her without question.

"The original agreements," she said.

"What original agreements?"

"The ones between our families."

Matteo's eyes narrowed.

"There are no agreements that concern you."

Gianna laughed nervously.

"You think I don't know what your family promised mine?"

Hollis froze.

"What did our family promise yours?"

Gianna said nothing.

Then the guard's radio crackled.

"Sir, we found another access record."

Hollis turned.

"Read it."

"The archive terminal was accessed three times this month. Two times under your credentials. The third time under Miss Rossi's temporary access code."

Gianna closed her eyes.

Hollis looked at her again.

"You lied to me."

"I was protecting myself."

"From what?"

Her eyes filled with tears.

"From my father."

The room went silent.

Gianna lowered her voice.

"He told me that if I didn't secure my position beside you, the Rossi family would lose everything."

Hollis stared at her.

"So you tried to destroy mine?"

"I never wanted you destroyed."

"You used my name."

"I only moved money temporarily."

"You forged my signature."

"I thought I could put everything back before anyone noticed."

Matteo's expression hardened.

"You didn't act alone."

Gianna looked away.

That was the answer.

Hollis understood immediately.

"Who helped you?"

"I can't tell you."

"Then I'll find out myself."

Gianna grabbed his arm.

"Hollis, please."

He pulled his arm away.

"Don't touch me."

She stared at him in shock.

"You used to protect me."

"I did."

His voice was painfully calm.

"And that was my mistake."

The next morning, Hollis came to my office.

I knew something had happened before he even spoke.

His face was exhausted.

"It was Gianna," he said.

I looked at him across the desk.

"I know."

His eyes narrowed.

"You knew?"

"I suspected."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I closed the file in front of me.

"Because I needed you to discover the truth yourself."

He nodded slowly.

"You were right."

I studied him.

"What happens now?"

"The Lombardi family is freezing every account connected to the Rossi network."

"And Gianna?"

"She's under investigation."

I expected to feel satisfaction.

Instead, I felt tired.

The woman who had taken my wedding, my dress, my place beside him, and destroyed something that was supposed to be mine had finally been exposed.

But revenge wasn't as sweet as I had once imagined.

Because I realized something.

I didn't want Hollis back.

I wanted my life back.

Hollis seemed to read the answer on my face.

"Willa."

"What?"

"I'm going to make this right."

I shook my head.

"Make it right for your family. Not for me."

"I know."

He paused at the door.

"But there's one thing you should know."

"What?"

"The money they moved wasn't the real objective."

I looked up.

"Then what was?"

His expression darkened.

"Control of the Lombardi trust."

My stomach tightened.

"How much control?"

"Enough to remove me from the succession."

He left before I could respond.

I sat there in silence.

For months, I had thought Hollis's betrayal was the worst thing that had happened to me.

Now I realized it had only been the beginning.

Someone hadn't just wanted to ruin Hollis.

They had wanted the entire Lombardi empire.

And whoever was behind Gianna hadn't been caught yet.