Chapter 7 - LILA MEETS ETHAN
Lila prepared for Ethan’s visit like a diplomatic summit.
“What does he like?”
“I don’t know.”
“Food?”
“Probably.”
“Dogs?”
“Maybe.”
“Video games?”
“Likely.”
“Dessert?”
Dominic smiled.
“Genetically possible.”
She rolled her eyes.
Lila’s fear had changed since the gala.
Not disappeared.
But become questions.
Good.
Her child therapist helped.
No adult told her Ethan was an “heir.”
No one used words like rival.
He was Gabriel’s son.
Her cousin.
That was enough.
The DNA lab later clarified the relationship.
The initial report had been broad because only two child samples were compared.
Once Gabriel’s preserved medical DNA sample was tested under proper authority, the result confirmed:
Ethan was Gabriel Bellini’s biological son.
Lila and Ethan were first cousins.
Not siblings.
Veronica had allowed Dominic to interpret “close paternal match” more dramatically than it meant.
Another manipulation.
She never explicitly told him Ethan was his son.
She let fear do the work.
Dominic appreciated the elegance even as he hated it.
Ethan visited the Bellini estate with Laura and the therapist.
Lila waited in the library.
Pale lavender cardigan.
Hair braided.
She looked nervous.
Ethan entered.
Stopped.
They stared.
Lila spoke first.
“You don’t look like Daddy.”
Ethan frowned.
“You don’t look like mine either.”
Good start.
Dominic nearly laughed.
Lila pointed at his chin.
“You have Uncle Gabriel’s dent.”
Ethan touched it.
“What dent?”
“Daddy has pictures.”
She led him toward the family wall.
There were photographs of Gabriel.
Ethan stood frozen.
One showed Gabriel at twelve.
Another on a motorcycle.
One beside Dominic, both in suits, glaring at someone off-camera.
Ethan whispered:
“That’s my dad?”
“Yes,” Dominic said.
Ethan looked closer.
Lila stood beside him.
Then:
“He looks funny.”
Dominic offended:
“He looked ridiculous.”
Ethan smiled.
Lila did too.
The adults relaxed slightly.
Then Lila asked:
“Do you want my stuff?”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Too direct.
Ethan looked confused.
“What?”
“My trust.”
Child therapist almost intervened.
Ethan shook his head.
“I have my own.”
Lila stared.
“Oh.”
“Veronica said you’d hate me.”
“She said you would end my bloodline.”
Ethan frowned.
“What does that even mean?”
Lila shrugged.
“I think rich people talk weird.”
Dominic laughed out loud.
Laura joined.
Even the therapist smiled.
Then Ethan became serious.
“My aunt says your grandpa wrote papers saying boys get more.”
Lila looked at Dominic.
He had planned to explain age-appropriately.
Apparently now.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he was wrong.”
Lila blinked.
“Grandpa can be wrong?”
“He was often excellent at it.”
She accepted this.
“What happens?”
Dominic crouched.
“We’re changing what we legally can.”
“Will Ethan get more?”
“Not because he’s a boy.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Do I get nothing?”
Dominic smiled.
“You get what belongs to you.”
“Which is?”
“Your father’s trust.”
“And family?”
That question landed.
Dominic looked at Laura.
Then Ethan.
“If you want family, you don’t need a trust for that.”
Ethan looked away.
Too much emotion.
He changed subject.
“Do you actually have a private movie theater?”
Lila gasped.
“Yes.”
Diplomacy successful.
By evening they were arguing over popcorn.
Normal.
Dominic stood in the doorway watching.
Michael joined quietly.
“Good?”
Dominic nodded.
Then Michael handed him a folder.
“What?”
“Veronica’s personal assistant contacted us.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“Why?”
“She has copies.”
“Of?”
“Messages.”
The assistant, Rachel Vale, had worked for Veronica three years.
She feared involvement.
She had saved messages because Veronica instructed her to arrange school contacts, investigators, and trust searches.
One message from Veronica to Rachel stood out:
Once Dominic sees there’s a boy, he’ll panic about Lila losing control.
Rachel:
What if he doesn’t?
Veronica:
Then I make Lila panic first.
Dominic stared.
There it was.
Not speculation.
She had deliberately targeted his daughter emotionally.
May you like
That changed his response from broken engagement to something far colder.
Legal accountability.
