Chapter 11
Dominic separated from Celina three days after reading the complete correspondence.
He did not blame Lucia.
That would have been easier.
He moved into a hotel and retained independent counsel.
Celina accused him of abandoning her when the family turned against her.
Dominic answered:
“I abandoned Mom first.”
That sentence was the beginning of his accountability.
Not the end.
He admitted he had dismissed Rosa repeatedly.
He let Celina use family documents.
He signed broad event authority without reading how it might be interpreted.
He told Celina private things about Rosa’s emotional attachment to the restaurant.
He failed to question an appraisal request.
He spent years thinking his role as peacemaker made him innocent.
Rosa did not accept his first apology.
“You keep saying you trusted your wife.”
“I did.”
“Trusting your wife isn’t the problem.”
Dominic looked at her.
Rosa continued.
“You stopped trusting me whenever she said I was difficult.”
He had no answer.
Celina’s defense focused on intent.
She claimed she never expected Rosa to lose the building.
She believed the family would refinance or negotiate before that happened.
She claimed the development would increase everyone’s wealth.
She claimed she planned to compensate Rosa generously.
Rebecca asked:
“Did Rosa agree?”
“No.”
“Did Lucia?”
“No.”
“Did Dominic know the actual structure?”
Celina hesitated.
“No.”
“Then whose agreement made it acceptable?”
Celina stopped talking.
Harborstone insisted it had not authorized fraud.
Its executives acknowledged discussions about distressed-debt acquisition and a future role for Celina, but denied knowing her authority documents were false.
Investigators had to sort that out.
Lucia refused to declare every Harborstone employee part of a conspiracy.
Evidence would decide.
Beacon Crest likewise claimed victim status.
If it had relied on forged paperwork, it had financial claims too.
The case became complicated.
Good.
Complicated truth was still better than a simple lie.
Rosa returned to the restaurant a week later.
Lucia found her kneading dough one-handed.
“What are you doing?”
“Working.”
“Your fingers are still healing.”
“They work.”
“Sit down.”
Rosa looked at her daughter.
“You do understand where you got the bossiness?”
Lucia almost smiled.
“Sit.”
May you like
Rosa did.
For the first time, Lucia realized saving the restaurant also meant saving Rosa from the idea that she had to destroy herself working in it to prove no one had taken it from her.
