Chapter 6 - THE FILE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGThe drive contained years of recordings.
Conversations.
Payments.
Hospital footage.
Security files.
And one recording dated five years earlier.
Vincent played it.
Lucia appeared on screen.
Richard stood beside her.
Marco was in the room.
Vincent's breath stopped.
Lucia said,
“After Sophia dies, Vincent will break.”
Marco looked furious.
“You promised she wouldn't be harmed.”
“She won't suffer.”
Vincent's hand shook.
“She dies tomorrow.”
“No.”
“She already has what she needs.”
“Then why change the medication?”
“Because we need the records altered.”
Marco stepped forward.
“If you touch that child—”
Lucia smiled.
“You'll do what?”
The recording ended.
Vincent sat motionless.
Marco had known.
Not that Sophia would die.
But that someone was planning to manipulate her treatment.
He had been there.
He had tried to stop them.
Too late.
Vincent closed his eyes.
Five years of grief became rage.
He found Marco in the garage.
“You knew.”
Marco turned.
“I knew they were planning something.”
“You heard them.”
“Yes.”
“And you let it happen.”
“No.”
“You failed.”
Marco bowed his head.
“Yes.”
Vincent hit him.
Once.
Then again.
Marco did not fight back.
“I should have told you.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That they would kill you.”
Vincent stepped back.
“My daughter died.”
Marco whispered,
“I know.”
“No.”
Vincent's voice broke.
“You don't know.”
Marco finally looked at him.
“I've lived with it every day.”
Vincent's rage faltered.
Marco continued.
“I stood outside that hospital room while Sophia was dying.”
His eyes filled.
“She asked me where you were.”
Vincent stopped breathing.
“What?”
“She said, ‘Uncle Marco, tell Daddy I'm brave.’”
The room blurred.
Vincent sat down.
He covered his face.
Marco lowered his head.
“I couldn't save her.”
Neither man spoke for a long time.
Then Vincent whispered,
“Neither could I.”
Marco looked at him.
“That wasn't your fault.”
Vincent laughed through tears.
“I spent five years believing it was.”
“And now?”
“Now I know exactly who to blame.”
Lucia was still hiding.
But she made one mistake.
She contacted Elena.
A message appeared on Elena's phone.
COME TO THE GREENHOUSE ALONE.
Elena deleted it.
Vincent saw.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He held out his hand.
“Give me the phone.”
She hesitated.
Then did.
He read the message.
“Why would she call you?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
Elena looked away.
“She knows where Daniel is.”
Vincent froze.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel stole something from her.”
“What?”
“The original ledger.”
Vincent's eyes widened.
“The criminal accounts?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
Elena whispered,
“With Mia.”
Vincent stared.
“What?”
“Daniel hid it in Bunny.”
The stuffed rabbit.
Vincent almost laughed from disbelief.
A three-year-old's battered toy had been carrying the evidence that could destroy the largest criminal network on the East Coast.
“Where is Bunny?”
“Mia has him.”
But Mia didn't.
Bunny was missing.
They searched every room.
The toy was gone.
Then a security alert appeared.
Someone had entered the nursery.
Vincent ran.
A man was standing near Mia's bed.
Bunny in his hand.
Vincent raised his weapon.
“Put it down.”
The man turned.
Richard Hale.
He smiled.
“Your family really does love dramatic entrances.”
Vincent aimed at him.
“Give me the rabbit.”
Richard laughed.
Then he pulled a lighter.
“Come closer.”
Vincent's eyes hardened.
“If you burn it, you burn your life.”
Richard looked at Mia sleeping in the next room.
“No.”
He smiled.
“I'll burn hers first.”
Vincent's finger tightened around the trigger.
Then Marco stepped beside him.
Richard looked shocked.
“You're alive.”
Marco smiled coldly.
“Disappointed?”
Richard fired.
Marco shoved Vincent aside.
The bullet struck Marco.
He fell.
Vincent fired back.
Richard ran.
Vincent dropped beside Marco.
Blood spread beneath his shirt.
“Marco.”
Marco grinned weakly.
“Still can't shoot straight.”
Vincent laughed despite himself.
“Idiot.”
“Get the rabbit.”
Vincent looked.
Bunny lay on the floor.
Safe.
He grabbed it.
Inside the toy's torn seam was a small black memory card.
The evidence.
May you like
The truth.
The thing everyone had killed for.
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