Chapter 5 - THE DOCTOR WHO FINALLY SPOKE
Dr. Adrian Keller arrived at Luca's office on a Thursday morning.
He looked nervous.
He was in his early fifties, with thinning hair and a tired expression.
Margaret Ellis sat beside Luca.
Dante stood near the door.
I was upstairs with Sofia.
Keller placed a folder on the desk.
“I need to explain.”
Luca leaned back.
“Then explain.”
Keller said Vanessa had contacted his office several times after Sofia's accident.
She claimed Luca was overwhelmed and wanted her to coordinate medical information.
At first, the requests appeared ordinary.
Then Vanessa began asking questions about permanent disability.
Long-term residential care.
And whether Sofia's rehabilitation could be considered unlikely to produce further improvement.
Luca's expression hardened.
“What did you tell her?”
Keller swallowed.
“That recovery was uncertain and required continued assessment.”
Margaret leaned forward.
“Did you authorize the altered report?”
Keller shook his head.
“No.”
He explained that someone had used an outdated template bearing his name.
The signature did not match his current electronic authorization records.
Margaret made notes.
“Have you reported this?”
“Yes. To the hospital compliance department and the relevant authorities.”
Luca stared at him.
“Did Vanessa offer you money?”
Keller hesitated.
“She offered to fund a research initiative.”
Silence.
Luca leaned forward.
“In exchange for what?”
Keller looked down.
“She wanted a statement supporting long-term placement.”
Luca stood.
His chair scraped against the floor.
Dante shifted.
Margaret raised a hand.
“Luca.”
He stopped.
Keller looked frightened.
“I didn't issue the statement.”
Luca stared at him.
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Keller swallowed.
“I should have.”
Luca turned toward the window.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he spoke quietly.
“My daughter spent months believing she was a burden.”
Keller looked down.
Luca continued.
“And people around her were treating her future like a business negotiation.”
His voice broke.
“She is eleven years old.”
Margaret closed her folder.
“We'll let the investigation establish what happened.”
After Keller left, Luca remained by the window.
Dante approached.
“Boss.”
Luca didn't turn.
“What?”
“We found the source of the trust amendment.”
Luca looked back.
Dante held a printed email.
It had been sent from Vanessa's private account to Carlo Bellini.
The subject line read:
SOFIA'S PLACEMENT MUST BE FINALIZED BEFORE THE WEDDING.
Luca read it.
Then looked at Dante.
“Get Margaret back in here.”
Because the email contained something even worse.
May you like
A reference to a payment made seven months earlier.
The same week Sofia's car accident occurred.
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