Chapter 6 - WHAT ADRIAN KNEWLuca watched the video six times.
Each time, the final sentence felt heavier.
You are the reason I disappeared.
Elena sat across from him in the private library.
Nora was asleep upstairs.
The mansion was under armed guard.
Nobody entered.
Nobody left.
But Luca's real prison was the sentence inside his head.
He finally turned toward Elena.
“What did Adrian mean?”
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie.”
“I swear.”
“You already lied once.”
Elena looked down.
“I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That your father had planned to use you.”
Luca stopped.
“For what?”
“To replace him.”
Silence.
Elena continued.
“Your father intended to hand control of the Ferraro empire to you.”
“Yes.”
“But the Circle didn't want that.”
“So?”
“They wanted Adrian.”
Luca frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Harland believed Adrian would obey him.”
“But he didn't.”
“No.”
“He rebelled.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Adrian blame me?”
Elena looked at him.
“Because the Circle used you against him.”
Luca remembered old memories.
Arguments.
Threats.
Jealousy.
The night Adrian disappeared.
His father telling him:
Your brother betrayed us.
Luca had believed him.
He had confronted Adrian.
They had fought.
Adrian had left.
Luca had never seen him again.
“You made me hate him.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
“Who did?”
“Your father.”
Luca stood.
Then a memory returned.
A detail he had forgotten.
The night Adrian disappeared, his father had given Luca a sealed envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Adrian meeting Elena.
His father had said:
He's using her.
Luca had believed it.
He had never questioned the photograph.
Now he understood.
It had been staged.
He slammed his fist onto the desk.
“Where's that envelope?”
Elena looked frightened.
“What?”
“The photograph.”
“I don't know.”
“I do.”
Luca opened a safe.
Inside were decades of family records.
He found the photograph.
On the back was a date.
Three days before the photograph had supposedly been taken.
Luca stared.
He had been fooled.
For years.
A knock sounded.
Matteo entered.
“Mr. Ferraro.”
“What?”
“We found Harland.”
Luca looked up.
“Where?”
“His old estate.”
“Take me.”
“No.”
Matteo's voice was firm.
“You're too close to this.”
Luca stared at him.
“Do you want to keep your job?”
“I want to keep you alive.”
A pause.
Then Matteo added:
“We also found something else.”
“What?”
“Harland has been making monthly visits to a hospital.”
Luca frowned.
“Which hospital?”
“St. Vincent's.”
“Who is he visiting?”
Matteo hesitated.
“A patient under the name Daniel Reed.”
Luca looked at Elena.
She had gone completely white.
“You know him.”
Elena whispered:
“That isn't his real name.”
“Who is it?”
She stared at Luca.
“Adrian.”
The room went silent.
Luca's chair scraped backward.
“You said he was gone.”
“I thought he was dead.”
Matteo looked confused.
Luca grabbed his coat.
“Get the car.”
Within fifteen minutes, they were speeding toward St. Vincent's.
The hospital corridor was nearly empty.
Luca reached the restricted wing.
A nurse blocked the way.
“Family only.”
“I am family.”
She checked the chart.
“Mr. Reed has no visitors.”
Luca stepped closer.
“Open the door.”
“I can't.”
He pulled out his identification.
The nurse looked at it.
Then at him.
Finally she unlocked the door.
The room was dark.
A man lay in the bed.
Wires.
Oxygen.
Machines.
His face was scarred.
Older.
Thinner.
But Luca knew him.
Even after twelve years.
“Adrian.”
The man's eyes opened.
He looked at Luca.
And smiled.
“I'm sorry.”
Luca stopped beside the bed.
“For what?”
Adrian's voice was barely audible.
“For bringing you into this.”
Luca's throat tightened.
“You're alive.”
“Barely.”
“Why did you disappear?”
Adrian looked toward the door.
“Because they threatened Nora.”
“She was a baby.”
“They said they'd kill her.”
Luca's hands shook.
“Why didn't you come to me?”
Adrian stared at him.
“Because Harland told me you were the one who gave them the location.”
Luca went still.
“What?”
Adrian continued.
“He showed me proof.”
Luca's mind raced.
“What proof?”
A tear rolled down Adrian's cheek.
“The recording.”
“What recording?”
Adrian whispered:
“The night you ordered them to kill me.”
Luca stared at him.
“I never did that.”
Adrian looked toward the ceiling.
“I know.”
Then he smiled sadly.
“Because I finally saw the original.”
“What original?”
“The voice recording.”
“Whose voice?”
Adrian turned his head.
“Yours.”
Luca froze.
“My voice?”
Adrian nodded.
“Someone forged your voice.”
Before Luca could speak, the monitor beside Adrian began beeping rapidly.
An alarm sounded.
Nurses rushed into the room.
Adrian grabbed Luca's wrist.
“Listen to me.”
Luca leaned closer.
“Where is the recording?”
Adrian struggled for breath.
“Nora knows.”
Luca looked toward the hallway.
“What does Nora know?”
Adrian's eyes widened.
Then he whispered:
May you like
“She isn't three.”
And the monitor flatlined.
