Chapter 5 - BLOOD DOESN’T LIE
Derek was detained in a locked guest room under guard.
I refused to speak to Luca until he explained.
We stood in the library.
My daughter slept in a bassinet beside me.
“What did he mean about her blood?”
Luca poured whiskey but didn’t drink it.
“Sofia had a rare blood disorder.”
“So?”
“You have markers for the same disorder.”
I stared.
“You tested me?”
“Public medical records from your pregnancy.”
My anger returned.
“You had no right.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that like it fixes things.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then explain.”
He set down the glass.
“Sofia’s child was born with the same markers.”
I felt a chill.
“And?”
“The hospital records were altered.”
“By your father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the child’s biological father was someone he needed to protect.”
“Who?”
Luca looked at me.
“My older brother.”
I stared.
“You had a brother?”
“Matteo.”
“What happened to him?”
“He disappeared eighteen years ago.”
My mind raced.
“Sofia was pregnant by your brother?”
“Yes.”
“So why did everyone think the baby was yours?”
“My father wanted it that way.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It kept Matteo out of a scandal.”
“What scandal?”
“Matteo was married.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Another powerful man.
Another woman betrayed.
Another secret hidden for convenience.
“What happened to Sofia?”
“She tried to leave New York.”
“And?”
“My father stopped her.”
“How?”
Luca’s face tightened.
“She died in a car crash.”
I stared at him.
“You think your father killed her.”
“Yes.”
The room suddenly felt cold.
“And my mother?”
“She helped Sofia disappear before the crash.”
“What?”
Luca pulled out another document.
A birth record.
The name had been blacked out.
“Your mother worked at St. Catherine’s Hospital.”
I remembered.
“She was a nurse.”
“She helped deliver Sofia’s child.”
My mouth went dry.
“Where is the child?”
Luca looked directly at me.
“I don’t know.”
Then the library door opened.
The head of security walked in.
“Mr. Moretti.”
“What?”
“We tested the blood sample from the hospital bracelet.”
My stomach tightened.
Luca looked at him.
“And?”
The man hesitated.
“The baby has the same rare markers as Sofia’s child.”
I stared at my daughter.
“That’s impossible.”
The security chief continued.
“There’s more.”
Luca’s eyes sharpened.
“What?”
“The genetic comparison shows a direct family relationship.”
My heart stopped.
“To who?”
May you like
The man looked at me.
“To Mr. Moretti.”
