Page 55 of Luciano (Belles & Mobsters 1)

He pulled another manilla envelope. I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I want everything you have taken that has to do with me.”

“Woman, you do not want to know all that,” he retorted. “Besides, it would have required a damn file cabinet to get all that out of there.”

I sighed. “I should have gone with you. Can I have it?” I extended my arm. “I assumed you read this one too?”

He handed me the folder and then leaned against the window. Luciano was the closest to me, Cassio directly across me and Luca on my right.

“I did. It reads the same with the exception of the guardian and power of attorney designator.”

I pulled that document out, skimming through the key sections and my eyes widened. “What the-”

How could that be? That document designated Luciano’s father as my guardian and executor of all my inheritance. My eyes darted between lines, my brain flabbergasted at the revelation. Did Luciano know? Did his father? I didn’t know they knew my parents.

And that’s when I found it. The loophole. I quickly dug the latest document that designated my uncle as my guardian and searched out the same paragraph.

“It’s still there,” I murmured to myself. Ian made a mistake and left a loophole in both documents.

“What is?” Luciano’s question startled me.

My head snapped up, my eyes darting between the three men.

Luca answered him. “The loophole.”

I nodded. “Yes, the loophole.”

“Well, you two are at an advantage. You have read both documents. Can you summarize it for us?”

Luciano didn’t like to be in the dark.

“Did you know?” I asked him, watching for any signs of deceit.

“You will have to be a bit more specific,” he replied, a frown on his face. “Did I know what?”

I shook my head. “The original will by my parents had your father as my guardian and executor of the inheritance.”

The expression on his face told me he didn’t know it. “Are you sure?”

I handed him the will while my brain worked furiously. There was so much I didn’t know. How would I ever find out all the secrets with my parents gone?

“Why didn’t he ever say anything?”

“Are you going to exercise the loophole?” Luca asked. He turned his gaze to Cassio. “She doesn’t get her inheritance until she turns twenty-five. Unless-” he paused, I guess for the special effect or something. “Unless she gets married. How is it that you didn’t know this?”

“I never received a copy of the will. I was twelve when my parents died.”

“Hasn’t Ian told you that?” Luciano asked in a growl. “He’s your attorney and should be looking out for you.”

“No, obviously he hasn’t,” I replied bitterly. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to resort to stealing it from him. He only serves my uncle’s interests, in case it escapes you. Ian is my uncle’s lover, has been for a while.”

Luciano’s expression was comical. “What? You sure?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. They have been an item behind closed doors for a long time.” I didn’t have to wonder what my husband was thinking. “And no, Luciano. He never dated me. Both Ian and my uncle needed a diversion, someone to cover their relationship.”

He didn’t comment further. Not that it would matter whatever he thought. His eyes went back to my parents’ document.

“You are worth quite a penny,” Luciano muttered, his eyes darting the pages of my parents’ will.

Apparently, not enough.Because my husband threw me away.

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