Chapter 2 - The Woman Woke in My Mansion—Then She Told Me the Child Isabella Hid Was Alive and Someone Had Been Hunting Her for Three YearsThe woman woke at 4:18 in the morning.
The doctor had spent nearly three hours fighting the hypothermia.
She had a concussion.
A high fever.
Two cracked ribs.
Severe dehydration.
But she survived.
I stood outside the bedroom door while the doctor gave me the report.
“She's lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“She was probably another twenty minutes from cardiac arrest.”
I looked through the glass.
She was lying beneath six blankets.
Her face was pale.
A bruise covered one side of her jaw.
The sight made something ugly move inside me.
Not pity.
Anger.
Someone had done this.
And whoever had done it had known exactly where to leave her.
In front of my convoy.
During a blizzard.
That wasn't coincidence.
That was a message.
“Did she say anything?”
The doctor hesitated.
“She kept repeating one name.”
“Isabella.”
He nodded.
Then he lowered his voice.
“She also said something about a child.”
My jaw tightened.
“Get everyone out.”
The doctor left.
I entered.
Marco followed.
The woman opened her eyes.
The instant she saw me, terror returned.
“You're Alessandro.”
It wasn't a question.
“Yes.”
She swallowed.
“My name is Elena Carter.”
“Where did you know my wife?”
Elena stared at me.
“She saved my life.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
I stepped closer.
“Three years ago Isabella died.”
“I know.”
“Then explain.”
Elena looked toward the door.
“Is anyone listening?”
“Only my men.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
I stared at her.
Nobody spoke to me that way.
Nobody.
But Elena wasn't trying to challenge me.
She was afraid.
Not of me.
Of someone else.
I motioned for Marco to leave.
He objected immediately.
“Boss—”
“Outside.”
He reluctantly left.
I locked the door.
Elena watched me.
“Your wife wasn't alone the night she died.”
My pulse changed.
“What?”
“She called me.”
“When?”
“The night before.”
I felt the room narrow around me.
“What did she say?”
“She said she had to disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because someone inside your organization had discovered the child.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What child?”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Your daughter.”
I almost laughed.
It wasn't funny.
It was insanity.
“Lily is four.”
“I know.”
“Isabella died three years ago.”
“I know.”
“Then what child are you talking about?”
Elena stared at me.
“Your first daughter.”
The word struck harder than a bullet.
“First?”
She nodded.
“She was born before Lily.”
My hands curled into fists.
“That is impossible.”
“Isabella told me she was pregnant.”
“She never told me.”
“I know.”
“Who is the child?”
Elena began crying.
“I don't know where she is.”
“Then why did you say she's alive?”
“Because she was alive when I last saw her.”
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
My heart stopped.
“Where?”
Elena looked toward the window.
“Philadelphia.”
I grabbed my phone.
Marco entered immediately.
“Boss?”
“Call Philadelphia.”
“For what?”
“Find every woman named Elena Carter connected to Isabella Moretti.”
Marco stared at me.
“Boss, she's sitting right here.”
I looked at him.
“Then find everyone she has contacted in the last year.”
He understood.
His expression changed.
He left.
Elena reached beneath her pillow.
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“Isabella gave me this.”
I took it.
It contained a name.
MAYA.
Underneath it was a date.
And an address.
I recognized the street.
My blood turned cold.
It was the address of a children's shelter.
Three years ago, Isabella had visited it.
The day before she died.
I had never known.
“Why didn't she tell me?”
Elena looked at me.
“Because she didn't know who to trust.”
“Not even me?”
“She loved you.”
“Then why hide my child?”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“Because she believed someone close to you was going to kill her.”
I stared at her.
“Who?”
May you like
Elena whispered:
“Marco.”
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