Chapter 12
Bianca’s legal exposure was narrower than Vivienne’s.
She did not forge Elena’s signature.
Did not access the hospital portal.
Did not switch barcode labels.
Did not create Aurelian.
But she had allowed false adoption materials to remain active after she knew Roman and Elena had never confirmed consent.
She had also signed one agency update stating:
Birth family remains supportive but emotionally overwhelmed.
Who told her that?
Vivienne.
Did Bianca verify?
No.
Prosecutors considered false-statement and attempted custodial-interference theories.
The evidence showed she had been manipulated.
It also showed she had chosen not to ask questions because she feared the answer.
Bianca eventually entered a negotiated misdemeanor plea involving the false agency statement and agreed to a civil order preventing her from initiating any guardianship or adoption proceeding involving Roman’s children.
Probation.
Community service.
Mandatory counseling.
Financial penalties.
No custodial sentence.
That outcome enraged some DeLuca relatives.
Roman did not intervene.
The criminal process was not a family revenge schedule.
Vivienne’s case was more serious.
Prosecutors focused on forged documents, misuse of patient identifiers, attempted custodial interference, identity-record manipulation, related financial false statements, and her physical effort to seize Gabriel again after the mismatch was discovered.
Her lawyers correctly emphasized that she never successfully removed the baby from his parents’ property.
No adoption had been completed.
No child had been physically lost.
Those facts reduced some theories.
They did not erase planning.
Then Roman finished his own diversion program.
He completed community service through an unaffiliated organization.
Not his foundation.
Not a DeLuca charity.
He attended every counseling session.
At one meeting, the counselor asked:
“What did the slap accomplish?”
Roman answered:
“It told my mother I was angry.”
“Did she already know?”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
Roman stared at the floor.
“It accomplished nothing.”
That was the answer he carried home.
Dominic had seen the slap.
Roman had to explain it.
His son asked:
“Was Grandma bad?”
Roman said:
“She did something very wrong.”
“Then why were you in trouble?”
“Because I hit her after your brother was already safe.”
Dominic frowned.
“She deserved it.”
Roman looked at him.
“That is exactly the kind of sentence men in this family have used for a hundred years.”
May you like
He paused.
“I want you to learn a better one.”
