Chapter 5
The missing $2.8 million had not vanished.
That would have been simpler.
It had moved into Bellandi Development and then been used to satisfy a loan covenant on a stalled luxury redevelopment project outside Chicago.
The project was legitimate.
The transfer was not properly authorized.
Victor had personally championed the redevelopment.
Nolan had no ownership interest in it.
That mattered.
Serafina reviewed the entire history.
The project began two years earlier.
Construction delays followed.
Costs rose.
A major tenant withdrew.
Then lenders demanded more collateral.
Bellandi Development risked default.
A legitimate company failure would not destroy the family.
It would embarrass Victor.
More importantly, it would expose that he had guaranteed several obligations without approval from the broader management board.
The Employee Security Fund became a convenient source of temporary liquidity.
Victor claimed he intended to return every dollar.
Most had been returned.
That did not make the transfers proper.
“You don’t borrow from widows because a luxury project is embarrassing you,” Serafina said.
Her CFO nodded.
There was another problem.
The certification supporting the $2.8 million transfer referenced receivables that did not exist.
That moved the matter beyond sloppy governance.
Someone had fabricated support.
The electronic certification belonged to Nolan.
Victor’s attorneys immediately pointed at him.
For the first time since the garden, Victor publicly distanced himself from his son.
“I relied on Nolan’s representations.”
Nolan was furious.
“You told me what to sign.”
Victor’s lawyer interrupted him before he could say more.
Serafina watched the exchange through recorded deposition footage.
Something changed in Nolan’s face.
Not guilt.
Confusion.
That interested her.
Afterward, Dana asked:
“You think Nolan is innocent?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“He pinned my son to the ground. He signed documents he didn’t understand. He tried to hit me.”
Dana nodded.
“But?”
“I think he believed his father was making him important.”
The ninety-day authority agreement suddenly looked different.
So did Victor’s habit of letting Nolan swagger through family meetings while keeping actual control elsewhere.
May you like
Nolan may have thought he was being prepared to lead.
The paperwork suggested he was being prepared to sign.
