Chapter 12 - THE TRUTH BENEATH THE HOSPITAL RECORDS
The investigation took months.
Medical experts reviewed Dominic Castellano's records.
Auditors examined the payments.
Investigators interviewed former hospital staff.
The evidence suggested that medication records had been improperly altered and that several people had attempted to conceal the discrepancies.
Silvio's financial connections to the contractors became a central focus.
But the most painful discovery concerned Elena Vance.
Adeline's mother had reported the irregularities.
She had been threatened.
And after she became ill, someone had attempted to discredit her complaints by portraying her as unreliable.
There was no conclusive evidence that her illness had been caused deliberately.
Adeline hated that uncertainty.
She wanted a simple answer.
A name.
A reason.
A person to blame for every terrible thing that had happened.
But real investigations didn't always provide perfect endings.
Her attorney explained the distinction between what could be proven and what remained suspicion.
Adeline listened.
Then asked:
"Does that mean my mother did all of this for nothing?"
Maria Esteban shook her head.
"No."
Adeline looked at her.
Maria continued.
"Your mother told the truth when powerful people wanted silence."
Her eyes filled.
"That matters."
Adeline looked down at Elena's letter.
Love should never require you to disappear.
She thought of the years she'd spent working herself into exhaustion.
The fear.
The loneliness.
The belief that she had to carry everything alone.
Then she looked at Posy.
The little girl was sitting on the floor drawing butterflies.
Adeline smiled through tears.
Her mother hadn't been able to protect them from every hardship.
May you like
But she'd taught them how to keep their dignity.
And now Adeline intended to teach Posy the same thing.
