Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Blood Behind the Fortune
The emergency room doors burst open.
Julian Rossi barely noticed the sharp pain shooting through his fractured shoulder as he rushed inside.
"Elena Marino," he said breathlessly.
Then corrected himself.
"Elena Rossi."
The nurse looked up from her computer.
"Relationship?"
Julian didn't hesitate.
"Husband."
She quickly checked the screen.
"She's in the maternity observation unit."
"She's stable."
"But she's under evaluation."
Julian finally released the breath he'd been holding.
Stable.
For now.
Outside the examination room, Maria Alvarez sat alone with her hands clasped tightly together.
The moment she saw Julian, she stood.
"You came."
"I came as fast as I could."
He looked toward the closed door.
"How is she?"
Maria sighed.
"The doctors stopped the contractions."
"They believe it was brought on by stress and exhaustion."
Julian lowered his head.
Stress.
Exhaustion.
His wife should have been resting in the finest maternity care suite money could buy.
Instead...
She had been scrubbing hotel floors while carrying his child.
The realization filled him with guilt.
The obstetrician stepped into the hallway a few minutes later.
"You must be Mr. Rossi."
"Yes."
The doctor offered a reassuring smile.
"The baby is alive."
Julian felt his knees weaken with relief.
"But..."
The doctor continued carefully.
"Mrs. Rossi is severely overworked."
"She's underweight for this stage of pregnancy."
"Her blood pressure is unstable."
"She's been pushing herself far beyond what we recommend."
Julian frowned.
"Will they be alright?"
The doctor's expression grew serious.
"If she continues like this..."
He paused.
"We may lose the baby."
Those words struck Julian harder than the car crash.
He quietly entered Elena's hospital room.
She was asleep.
An IV dripped slowly beside the bed.
Monitors beeped steadily.
One hand rested protectively over her stomach, even in sleep.
Julian sat beside her.
He gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"You should have told me," he whispered.
"I would have carried all of this with you."
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"I would have carried you."
Later that evening...
Julian walked into the hospital billing office.
"I'd like to settle every medical expense."
The clerk typed Elena's name into the computer.
After a moment, she looked confused.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"What is it?"
"Her balance is already paid."
Julian blinked.
"Paid?"
"Every appointment."
"Every ultrasound."
"Every prescription."
"Even today's emergency treatment."
He stared at the screen.
"Who paid?"
"I'm afraid we can't disclose patient information."
Julian calmly placed his business card on the counter.
"This concerns my wife."
The clerk hesitated.
Finally, she leaned closer.
"It wasn't a company."
"It wasn't insurance."
"It was always the same individual."
She turned the monitor slightly.
The payer's name appeared.
Giovanni Moretti.
Julian's eyes widened.
"No..."
It couldn't be.
Giovanni Moretti.
For over thirty years, Giovanni had served as the Rossi family's chief butler.
He had watched Julian grow from a reckless teenager into a respected businessman.
He had attended Julian's wedding.
He had danced with Elena during the reception because Julian had jokingly claimed Giovanni deserved one dance after "raising him."
Three months after Elena disappeared...
Giovanni resigned without explanation.
Julian had assumed old age was finally catching up with him.
Now...
He realized that resignation had happened for a reason.
Maria found Julian standing silently in the hallway.
"You know him?"
Julian nodded.
"He worked for my family."
Maria looked surprised.
"Then he's the man who's been helping Elena."
Julian turned.
"You've met him?"
"For months."
"He came every few weeks."
"He always brought groceries."
"Baby clothes."
"Medicine."
"But he never stayed long."
Julian's heartbeat quickened.
"What did he say?"
Maria thought carefully.
"He always asked the same question."
"'Is she safe?'"
"And when I asked who he was..."
Maria smiled faintly.
"He simply said..."
"'An old friend who owes her everything.'"
Julian immediately ordered Nathan Carter to locate Giovanni.
Within an hour...
Nathan called back.
His voice was unusually tense.
"I found his apartment."
"And?"
"It's empty."
"How long?"
"The neighbors say he moved out two days ago."
Julian's grip tightened around the phone.
"Anything left behind?"
Nathan hesitated.
"Yes."
"What?"
"A broken coffee cup."
"An overturned chair."
"And blood."
Julian froze.
"Blood?"
"A lot of it."
The forensic team arrived before midnight.
Giovanni's apartment looked as though someone had searched every corner.
Drawers had been emptied.
Books thrown onto the floor.
Picture frames smashed.
Whoever had entered hadn't been looking for money.
They had been searching for something specific.
Nathan crouched beside a trail of dried blood leading toward the back door.
"No body."
Julian frowned.
"So he escaped?"
"Or..."
Nathan looked toward the dark alley beyond the doorway.
"...someone made sure there wouldn't be one."
A crime scene technician approached carrying a small evidence bag.
"We found this under the floorboard."
Inside was a silver key.
Attached to it was a faded leather tag.
Stamped with a single letter.
R
Nathan looked at Julian.
"Recognize it?"
Julian slowly nodded.
"Yes."
"It belongs to the old wine cellar beneath the Rossi Estate."
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"I thought that cellar had been sealed years ago."
"It was."
"After my father died."
Julian stared at the key.
"So why was Giovanni hiding it?"
Back at the hospital...
Elena awoke just after midnight.
The room was quiet.
A small lamp glowed softly in the corner.
She looked toward the chair beside her bed.
Julian was asleep.
Still wearing yesterday's suit.
His injured shoulder rested awkwardly against the backrest.
Dark circles framed his eyes.
He hadn't left.
She smiled through tears.
"You stubborn man..."
Almost unconsciously, she reached out and covered his hand with hers.
Julian stirred.
His eyes opened.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he smiled.
"The doctor says our son is as stubborn as his mother."
Elena laughed quietly.
"Or his father."
The silence between them felt different now.
Warmer.
Safer.
Until Julian spoke.
"I know about Giovanni."
Her smile vanished.
"What?"
"He paid every hospital bill."
Color drained from her face.
"He shouldn't have."
"You knew?"
She slowly nodded.
"He made me promise never to tell you."
"Why?"
"He said..."
She swallowed.
"...that the fewer people who knew he was helping me..."
"...the longer he'd stay alive."
Julian's heart sank.
Too late.
At that exact moment...
Miles away...
Inside an abandoned warehouse near the docks...
An elderly man sat tied to a wooden chair.
His face was bruised.
Blood stained his white shirt.
Yet despite everything...
Giovanni Moretti refused to speak.
A shadow stepped into the dim light.
The same cold voice echoed through the room.
"Where is the key?"
Giovanni smiled weakly.
"You'll never find it."
The man struck him across the face.
"You've always been loyal."
Giovanni spat blood onto the concrete floor.
"Not to monsters."
The stranger crouched until they were eye level.
"Then tell me where you hid the evidence."
Giovanni closed his eyes.
"You should have finished me twenty years ago."
The man's expression hardened.
"You'll wish we had."
As the warehouse door slammed shut...
Giovanni silently prayed that Julian would understand what the silver key meant...
May you like
Before it was too late.
End of Chapter 7
