Chapter 14 - THE ROOM BELOW THE CITY
I woke in a concrete room.
My wrists were tied in front of me.
There was no window.
No clock.
No phone.
The first thing I did was touch my stomach.
No pain.
No blood.
I breathed again.
Then a speaker above the door clicked.
“Good morning, Elizabeth.”
Daniel Vitali.
I recognized his voice from television interviews.
Matteo’s son.
“So you were the mole.”
He laughed.
“You sound disappointed.”
“I expected someone smarter.”
The speaker went silent.
A minute later, the door opened.
Daniel walked inside.
He looked younger than Alessandro.
More polished.
Less controlled.
“You caused a great deal of trouble.”
“Your father caused it.”
“My father built everything Alessandro enjoys.”
“Your grandfather built it.”
His expression tightened.
That landed.
“You think Alessandro deserves the company?”
“I don’t care who deserves the company.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because your family killed mine.”
Daniel crouched in front of me.
“You really believe this is about revenge?”
“No.”
“It is about inheritance.”
“Your child changes everything.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“If Alessandro has a recognized heir, my father loses his leverage with the trustees.”
“And you lose yours.”
He smiled.
“Exactly.”
At least the son was less subtle.
“What do you want?”
“The original drive.”
“You have the copy.”
“We know.”
Of course they knew.
Daniel leaned closer.
“Alessandro will trade anything for you now.”
“You don’t know him.”
“I know him better than you do.”
“He has spent his whole life pretending people are replaceable.”
“Employees.”
“Partners.”
“Women.”
“But family?”
Daniel smiled.
“Family is the one thing he cannot lose.”
I thought about the way Alessandro had said Elizabeth when I was taken.
Not Emma.
Elizabeth.
The person I really was.
“What if he refuses?”
“He won’t.”
Daniel stood.
“Your baby guarantees that.”
He left.
I tested the bindings.
Too tight.
But not professional.
Daniel was arrogant.
Arrogant people made mistakes.
I searched the room.
Metal chair.
Drain.
Exposed conduit.
Plastic water bottle.
One loose screw in the chair frame.
It took nearly twenty minutes to work the screw free.
Another thirty to saw through one plastic restraint.
My wrists were bleeding by the time I got loose.
The door remained locked.
Then I noticed the vent.
Not large enough to crawl through.
But large enough to carry sound.
I pressed my ear against it.
Voices.
Daniel.
Another man.
“Vitali is on his way.”
“Which one?”
“Alessandro.”
“Alone?”
“He thinks so.”
My chest tightened.
Then another voice spoke.
A woman.
I knew that voice.
Sofia.
My blood ran cold.
“The sedative will work quickly.”
Daniel laughed.
“My father said you were useful.”
I backed away from the vent.
Sofia.
The doctor Alessandro trusted.
The woman who had shown me my baby’s heartbeat.
The woman who had known about the pregnancy before anyone else.
Suddenly, the threatening messages made sense.
Matteo had known because Sofia told him.
Footsteps approached.
I grabbed the loose chair screw.
The door opened.
Sofia stepped inside.
I lunged.
She caught my wrist.
“Stop.”
“You betrayed us.”
She closed the door behind her.
“No.”
“I heard you.”
“You heard what Daniel needed to hear.”
She reached into her coat.
I raised the screw.
Sofia pulled out a phone.
On the screen was Gabriel.
Alive.
“Elizabeth.”
His voice was urgent.
“Sofia is with us.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“She volunteered to become Matteo’s medical contact six months ago.”
Sofia untied the remaining restraint.
“We knew someone was using private medical contractors.”
“North Shore?”
“Yes.”
“Patrick?”
Her face darkened.
“We believe North Shore supplied the drug used to trigger his cardiac arrest.”
My legs weakened.
Sofia steadied me.
“We can prove it now.”
“How?”
She looked toward the door.
“Because Daniel just confessed on three hidden microphones.”
A crash sounded in the hallway.
Then gunfire.
Sofia pulled me behind the wall.
Gabriel shouted through the phone.
“Move now.”
But the door flew open.
May you like
Daniel stood there holding a gun.
And behind him, Alessandro was on his knees.
