Chapter 8
Fabio wanted to destroy the petition.
Legally.
Publicly.
Completely.
Adrian told him that was the wrong objective.
“What is the right one?”
“Open the books.”
Fabio stared.
“We already are.”
“Not enough.”
The Veridian audit currently covered emergency security expenses.
Adrian wanted a five-year independent review of:
Every emergency trust distribution.
Every related-party vendor.
Family security contracts.
Real estate reimbursements.
Constance’s transactions.
Anthony’s transactions.
Fabio’s transactions.
Family-office access.
Use of company personnel for private matters.
All trust-controlled entities.
Anything legally reportable would go to outside counsel and regulators where required.
Fabio leaned back.
“You know what that finds.”
“No.”
“You know what it could find.”
“Yes.”
The DeSantis system had improved under Fabio.
It was not clean by modern corporate standards in every corner.
Old family habits survived.
Security personnel occasionally performed private errands.
Company aircraft mixed business and personal use.
Properties carried ambiguous expenses.
Fabio himself had signed hundreds of allocations.
Some would be wrong.
Adrian continued.
“I also recommend you step aside temporarily as family trustee.”
Fabio’s eyes hardened.
“That’s what she wants.”
“No.”
“She wants you suspended so she can control the timing.”
“And I’m telling you to recuse so neither of you controls the audit.”
Fabio said nothing.
The independent trustee would assume authority.
Monday’s governance amendment would not pass.
But neither would Constance’s preferred status quo remain untouched.
Everything would be reviewed first.
Adrian added:
“You also surrender any ability to block findings involving you.”
Fabio looked toward Juliet.
She had joined the meeting after Mabel fell asleep upstairs.
Juliet said:
“Do it.”
Fabio looked at her.
“That could cost us.”
“I know.”
“How much?”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
She held his gaze.
“Then care after Mabel is safe from being used as somebody’s reason.”
That settled it.
Fabio signed the full review authorization.
He voluntarily recused from the DeSantis Family Trust.
Asked the court to appoint the institutional trustee as sole temporary fiduciary.
Supported a preservation order over all emergency-vendor records.
Authorized access-log review.
Waived family objections to reporting legally required misconduct.
The decision became difficult to reverse within hours.
Banks were notified.
One refinancing paused.
Two family construction projects lost discretionary guarantees.
Constance called the move financial suicide.
Fabio never answered.
Then the audit found his first problem.
Three years earlier, the trust had paid $112,000 for security upgrades at Fabio and Juliet’s residence after a credible threat.
Most was appropriate.
$31,000 covered Fabio’s private office and wine cellar.
Personal.
He reimbursed it with interest.
Another:
A private aircraft trip to Chicago combined trust business with Juliet’s medical appointment.
Allocation correction:
$14,700.
Paid.
Another:
Family security personnel assisted Fabio during a personal property closing.
$9,200.
Paid.
Constance’s lawyer immediately cited the findings.
Adrian smiled when he saw the filing.
Fabio frowned.
“What’s funny?”
“She thinks admitting your mistakes proves the audit is unfair.”
“It proves I made mistakes.”
“Exactly.”
Fabio looked at the reimbursement confirmation.
May you like
For the first time, Constance could not decide which family errors were visible.
Neither could he.
