The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife (Carmen and Marco) novel Chapter 55

Carmen sat at her desk, the evidence spread before her like pieces of a shattered mirror. Bank statements, shipment records, and intercepted messages all pointed to the same conclusion: Giovanni Russo was the traitor. The transactions were subtle, buried in the shadows of legitimate deals, but once Carmen connected the dots, the picture became disturbingly clear.

Giovanni hadn’t just betrayed Marco—he had betrayed her.

She stared at the papers, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of one particularly damning document: a bank transfer to an account linked to a known associate of Arianna’s. The amount was staggering, but the betrayal behind it stung even more.

A soft knock at the door broke her concentration. “Come in,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.

Luca stepped into the room, his expression grim as his eyes flicked to the papers on her desk. “You called?”

Carmen gestured for him to sit, sliding the most critical documents across the desk. “I’ve found the leak.”

Luca picked up the papers, his brows furrowing as he scanned them. His frown deepened with every page. “Giovanni?”

Carmen nodded, her voice tight. “He’s been siphoning funds and feeding information to the remnants of Arianna’s forces. The safehouse bombing? He coordinated it.”

Luca slammed the papers down, his jaw clenched. “I knew he’d been acting off, but this…” He shook his head. “What’s his motive?”

“Resentment,” Carmen said, her tone bitter. “He hates how much influence I have. He thinks Marco’s trust in me has weakened the family.”

Luca leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply. “So what’s the plan? Are you going to tell Marco?”

“That’s the dilemma,” Carmen admitted, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the desk. “If I tell Marco now, he’ll act on emotion. Giovanni has allies—men who are loyal to him. If Marco moves too quickly, it could tear the family apart.”

“Then we gather more proof,” Luca said firmly. “Enough that there’s no room for doubt. We can’t afford to leave any loose ends.”

Carmen nodded, though her stomach churned. “I just hate keeping this from him.”

“You’re protecting him,” Luca said, his tone softening. “Marco’s carrying a lot right now. He’s trying to hold everything together, but the pressure’s getting to him.”

Carmen sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I know. And Giovanni’s betrayal will only make it worse.”

Luca’s gaze was steady. “We’ll handle this, Carmen. Quietly. Just say the word.”

“Start tracking Giovanni’s movements,” Carmen said. “If he’s planning something bigger, we need to know before it happens.”

Luca nodded, standing. “Consider it done.”

As he left, Carmen leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. She hated keeping secrets from Marco, but she knew Luca was right. If they didn’t handle this carefully, Giovanni’s betrayal could destroy everything they had fought for.

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Marco paced the length of his office, his frustration radiating from him in waves. Reports lay scattered across his desk, detailing failed attempts to locate Arianna’s loyalists. His men were restless, his advisors uneasy, and the pressure of holding the family together was beginning to weigh on him.