Chapter 6 - THE DOCTOR WHO LIED
Elena wanted to leave Chicago.
Luca did not argue with her.
That surprised her.
“I can have a car ready in ten minutes.”
She stared at him.
“You’re agreeing?”
“If you want Maya away from this, yes.”
“What about you?”
“I stay.”
“Of course you do.”
Luca looked at her.
“You asked me to be honest.”
“I am.”
“The safest place for her might be away from me.”
Elena’s anger disappeared.
Maya stood in the doorway.
Neither adult had heard her approach.
“I’m not going.”
Elena turned.
“Maya.”
“No.”
“This isn’t a discussion.”
“It should be.”
“Maya.”
She looked at Luca.
“Are you scared?”
“Yes.”
The answer surprised all three of them.
Luca continued.
“I’m more scared than I’ve been in a long time.”
Maya stepped into the room.
“Because of me?”
“Because someone thinks you can be used to hurt me.”
Maya thought about that.
“Then if I leave, doesn’t that mean it worked?”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Please stop making reasonable arguments.”
“I get that from Dad.”
Luca blinked.
It was the first time she had called him that.
Not Daddy.
Not father.
Dad.
The word hit him harder than the toxicology report.
Elena noticed.
She said nothing.
They moved Elena and Maya into the main estate that afternoon.
Not because Luca ordered it.
Because Elena decided three security gates were better than one apartment lock.
Dr. Moretti arrived after dark.
He looked twenty years older than Luca remembered.
His hands shook.
“I never wanted this.”
Luca sat across from him.
“That sentence usually comes before someone explains exactly how they wanted part of it.”
Moretti swallowed.
“Sal came to me.”
“When?”
“Before you collapsed.”
“Why?”
“He said you had a neurological condition.”
“He gave me bloodwork.”
“Scans.”
“Everything.”
“Fake?”
“Yes.”
Moretti looked at the floor.
“He told me the compound would cause temporary weakness.”
“A few weeks.”
“Maybe months.”
“He said it was necessary.”
“For what?”
“He said you were unstable.”
“Dangerous.”
“That the organization needed time to transition.”
Luca’s voice became quiet.
“You injected me.”
“No.”
Moretti looked up quickly.
“I never administered it.”
“I only helped conceal the symptoms after you collapsed.”
“Who gave it to me?”
“I don’t know.”
Luca stared at him.
Moretti began sweating.
“That’s the truth.”
“I swear.”
“You changed my diagnosis.”
“Yes.”
“You convinced three other specialists I had suffered a stroke.”
“I gave them manipulated records.”
“For twelve years?”
Moretti shook his head.
“Only the first year.”
“After that, everyone relied on the original diagnosis.”
“The muscle loss became real.”
“The nerve dysfunction became real.”
“Your body started matching the lie.”
Luca’s fingers tightened around the armrest.
Moretti looked sick.
“Sal paid me.”
“How much?”
“Enough to ruin my life forever.”
Luca leaned forward.
“Did Sal know about Elena?”
Moretti stopped breathing.
That was answer enough.
“Tell me.”
Moretti whispered.
“There was a letter.”
Luca said nothing.
“He had someone watching your old apartment.”
“He thought Elena was influencing you.”
“Influencing me how?”
“You wanted out.”
Moretti’s eyes filled with fear.
“You were going legitimate.”
“You were cutting Sal out.”
“You told people you wanted a family someday.”
“He blamed her.”
Elena stood in the shadows near the door.
Moretti had not realized she was there.
She stepped forward.
“What did he do to me?”
Moretti stared at her.
“I don’t know.”
“You know something.”
“I heard Sal tell someone to make sure Luca never saw the letter.”
Elena’s face went white.
Then Marco’s phone buzzed.
He looked down.
“Luca.”
“What?”
“Sal just called a meeting of the captains.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
May you like
Marco continued.
“He told them you’re mentally unfit to lead.”
