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It was her.
Eloise was in my private files, seeing where Valerie was being kept, and reporting that back to Massimo, who just had her killed.
But Valerie Siff’s fake name and whereabouts aren’t the only things I had in that locked file cabinet.
“Okay,” Gabriel mutters. “Where in the top?—”
“Halfway back. You’re looking for the folder labeled Carveli,” I growl. “Luca Carveli.”
I hardly knew Massimo’s father. I mean, I know was a piece of shit, just like his son. But for some reason, he chose Crown and Black for his east coast legal representation, even though he lived in LA.
We met maybe three times, mostly for run-of-the-mill legal issues like signing off on a contract he needed for a construction project, or a residential building he was looking at purchasing.
But there was one big thing I did, legally speaking, for Luca Carveli.
His will.
There’s the sound of rummaging for a second.
“I have it.”
“His will is in there. I need you to read it.”
“Give me a sec.” Gabriel clears his throat. “Well, no surprises. Everyone knows Luca and Massimo were at odds for years. This is the previous version of his will, where he stipulates that Massimo never becomes the head of the Carveli family, and doesn’t get a dime of Luca’s money?—”
“Look at the last page.”
“Hang on…” I can hear my brother’s breath catch. “Holy shit…”
I know what he’s looking at.
The day before Luca flew to Paris, where he eventually died either a day or a week later, depending on which rumor you believe, he stopped by Crown and Black since he was in New York anyway. He had me fill out an addendum to his will, signed and dated that day.
The addendum clarified that everything in the original will, specifically the part where Massimo gets nothing, was his most up-to-date wishes. The wording was…emphatic.
“This is dated like a week before he died,” Gabriel growls. “Jesus, he doesn’t pull any punches. ‘My spoiled, idiotic, insufferable weakling of a son, Massimo, will not take my place as leader of the Carveli organization. He also receives one dollar of my fortune and nothing else’. I mean…holy shit.”
I grimace. “What the fuck do you think the odds are that they hugged it out and made up sometime between a day or a week after that, right before Luca’s ‘heart attack’?”
“You’re the betting man, Alistair,” my brother mutters.
“Yeah, well, I call odds like that slim-to-fucking-none,” I spit, my pulse thudding in my ears.
“So Massimo forged his dad’s will to become king. Fucking hell,” Gabriel breathes. “If the other families in The Commission found out?—”
“Which is exactly why he had Eloise trying to steal that will you’re currently holding from my office.”
My brother exhales heavily. “I’m calling Taylor. How soon can you be at the office for a war-room sit down?”
“Soon.” My eyes narrow. “There’s something I have to take care of first.”
“Alistair—”
“See you soon.”
I hang up abruptly and storm through Keens for the front door, making a detour to the bar first.
Carmy Barone jumps as I grab his shoulder from behind and yank him around.
