Chapter 1 - THE SECOND SCAR
“Vincent.”
The name barely escaped Gabriel Moretti's lips.
Then his eyes rolled back.
The monitor alarm sounded.
I looked at the numbers.
His oxygen saturation had fallen to eighty-two percent.
His pulse was racing.
And the skin around the lower incision was hot, swollen, and beginning to discolor.
“Luca, call an ambulance.”
The security chief stared at me.
“Mr. Moretti doesn't use ambulances.”
I turned.
“Then Mr. Moretti can explain that policy to the coroner.”
Luca's expression hardened.
“You don't understand—”
“No. You don't understand.”
I pointed at the incision.
“He has a possible deep postoperative infection, neurological deficits, a dangerously high fever, and falling oxygen levels. He needs emergency imaging, blood cultures, antibiotics, and a surgical evaluation. Right now.”
Luca looked toward the bed.
Gabriel was barely conscious.
For the first time, I saw fear on the security chief's face.
“Can you save him?”
“Not in this bedroom.”
That finally moved him.
He took out his phone.
I adjusted Gabriel's oxygen delivery and continued monitoring him while Luca called emergency services.
Gabriel opened his eyes.
“Don't.”
His voice was rough.
I leaned closer.
“Don't what?”
“Hospital.”
“You're going.”
He tried to lift his hand.
It fell against the mattress.
“Vincent…”
“I heard you.”
His eyes found mine.
For one second, the fever seemed to clear.
“Don't trust him.”
Then he lost consciousness.
I looked at Luca.
“Who's Vincent?”
The security chief's jaw tightened.
“His cousin.”
“Why would his cousin arrange a surgery that doesn't appear in the medical records?”
Luca said nothing.
May you like
But his face told me everything.
He was beginning to ask the same question.
