Chapter 12 - LUCIA’S LAST DRIVEBy sunrise, the hospital had become a fortress.
Police guarded the neonatal floor.
No Rossi employee entered without authorization.
No family representative came near Elena.
Julian personally approved every name.
He trusted almost no one.
Elena woke shortly after six.
Her first word was,
“Sofia?”
Julian was sitting beside her.
“Stable.”
She exhaled.
“Breathing?”
“With some help.”
“Can I see her?”
“The doctor said soon.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Then remembered.
“Adrian?”
“Asleep down the hall.”
She looked at Julian.
“You stayed.”
“Yes.”
He had not changed clothes.
There was dried blood on one sleeve from helping Claudia.
Smoke still clung faintly to his jacket.
His eyes were red.
Elena looked at him for several seconds.
“Have you slept?”
“No.”
“You should.”
“No.”
“Julian.”
“No.”
She almost smiled.
Then noticed the letter in his hand.
“What’s that?”
His expression changed.
“Elena…”
“What?”
“Adrian had something from Lucia.”
She went still.
“A letter.”
Elena held out her hand.
Julian hesitated.
“Give it to me.”
He did.
She read slowly.
Julian watched her reach the final lines.
Her breathing stopped.
“No.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
She read them again.
Then again.
“My sister knew.”
Julian said nothing.
“She knew Isabella was following her.”
“Yes.”
Elena looked at him.
“Why didn’t anyone investigate?”
“Vittorio buried it.”
Her face hardened.
“He admitted that?”
“He said he learned three months later.”
“And then did nothing.”
“Yes.”
Elena stared at the ceiling.
Julian waited.
Finally she whispered,
“I spent ten years thinking Lucia drove too fast.”
“She didn’t.”
“I was angry at her.”
Julian frowned.
“Why?”
“Because she had been drinking at dinner.”
“She called me.”
“She said she was fine.”
“I told her she was irresponsible.”
Elena covered her face.
“That was the last thing I ever said to my sister.”
Julian moved closer.
“Elena.”
“I hung up on her.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I hung up.”
He sat beside her.
“You were her sister.”
“You had an argument.”
“That is not why she died.”
Elena lowered her hands.
Tears ran silently down her face.
“Your mother took everything.”
Julian did not defend Isabella.
“She did.”
“My sister.”
“Yes.”
“My marriage.”
“Yes.”
“Eight months of my pregnancy.”
“Yes.”
“She almost took Sofia.”
“Yes.”
Elena looked at him.
“And you still called her Mother last night.”
Julian froze.
It was true.
Even after learning everything.
Even while Isabella held Elena at gunpoint.
He had called her Mother.
Elena looked away.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
Julian shook his head.
“You’re right.”
“She was my mother for thirty-eight years.”
“That doesn’t disappear in one night.”
“But neither does what she did.”
Elena looked back at him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Tell the truth.”
“All of it?”
“Yes.”
“Even if Rossi Holdings collapses?”
“Yes.”
“Even if your father goes to prison?”
“Yes.”
“Even if Luca does?”
Julian hesitated.
Elena noticed.
“He kidnapped Adrian.”
“I know.”
“He drugged me.”
“I know.”
“He helped put me in that clinic.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you hesitate?”
Julian looked down.
“Because for the first time, I understand what happened to him.”
Elena’s expression hardened.
“Understanding is not forgiveness.”
“I know.”
“He made choices.”
“I know.”
“He knew I was pregnant.”
“I know.”
“He watched me beg.”
Julian looked at her.
“I know.”
Elena’s voice cracked.
“Then don’t turn him into another victim because Isabella manipulated him.”
“I won’t.”
“He can be both.”
Julian stared at her.
“A victim and guilty.”
“Yes.”
Julian nodded.
“You’re right.”
Elena relaxed slightly.
A knock came.
Claudia entered.
Behind her was a man in a dark suit.
“Julian.”
“This is Prosecutor Gabriel Laurent.”
Gabriel stepped forward.
“Mrs. Rossi.”
“I’m sorry to approach you this soon.”
Elena looked at Julian.
Then Gabriel.
“What do you need?”
“The truth.”
She almost laughed.
“You’ll need a few days.”
Gabriel smiled faintly.
“I suspect so.”
He placed a folder on the table.
“We reopened Lucia Moretti’s death investigation this morning.”
Elena stared.
“How?”
“The letter.”
“Traffic records.”
“And new testimony.”
Julian frowned.
“What testimony?”
Gabriel looked toward Claudia.
She answered.
“Dr. Moreau.”
Julian stood.
“You found him?”
“He turned himself in at 5:40 this morning.”
Elena went pale.
“Why?”
Gabriel answered.
“His daughter convinced him.”
“Camille?”
“Yes.”
Julian stared.
“Where is she?”
“Protective custody.”
Gabriel opened the folder.
“Dr. Moreau is cooperating.”
Elena looked at him.
“What did he say?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“It’s extensive.”
“Tell me.”
“He confirmed falsifying your medical records.”
“He confirmed administering medication without informed consent.”
“He confirmed Luca brought you to the clinic.”
Elena’s jaw tightened.
“And Isabella?”
Gabriel looked at Julian.
“She paid.”
Julian already knew.
But hearing it officially felt different.
Gabriel continued.
“She also issued instructions concerning the pregnancy.”
Elena’s hand moved toward her abdomen.
Now empty.
Sofia was upstairs.
Safe.
“What instructions?”
Gabriel spoke carefully.
“She wanted the pregnancy medically terminated.”
Julian closed his eyes.
Elena did not react.
Not visibly.
Gabriel continued.
“Dr. Moreau refused.”
Julian looked up.
“What?”
“He falsified reports saying the procedure would create unacceptable risk.”
Elena stared.
“He protected Sofia?”
Gabriel nodded.
“In that respect, yes.”
“He still kept you there.”
“He still medicated you.”
“He still falsified documents.”
“He will face charges.”
“But he refused that order.”
Elena looked away.
Nothing was simple anymore.
Gabriel turned a page.
“There’s more about Lucia.”
Julian’s stomach tightened.
“Moreau knew Isabella before Elena’s admission.”
“How?”
“Lucia.”
Elena looked at him.
“What?”
“Lucia contacted him ten years ago.”
“Why?”
“She believed someone was tampering with Adrian’s medical records.”
Julian frowned.
“Adrian?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Isabella apparently wanted his paternity concealed permanently.”
Lucia refused.
Then she threatened to contact Julian.
Three days later, she died.
Elena’s face went blank.
“Did Isabella kill her?”
Gabriel did not rush the answer.
“We don’t know yet.”
Elena stared at him.
“The letter says she was following her.”
“Yes.”
“Then what don’t you know?”
“Following someone and causing a crash are different crimes.”
Julian respected the answer even though he hated it.
Gabriel continued.
“But Dr. Moreau gave us another name.”
“Who?”
“A mechanic.”
Julian frowned.
Gabriel looked at Elena.
“The mechanic who serviced Lucia’s car the afternoon she died.”
Elena stopped breathing.
“He’s alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Outside Turin.”
“And?”
Gabriel’s expression darkened.
“He says he was paid to alter the brake line.”
The room went silent.
Elena whispered,
“By Isabella?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No.”
Julian frowned.
“Then who?”
Gabriel opened a photograph.
A younger man stood outside an auto shop.
Beside him was someone Julian recognized instantly.
Vittorio Rossi.
Elena stared at the photograph.
“No.”
Julian felt sick.
Gabriel spoke quietly.
“The mechanic says Vittorio paid him.”
Julian turned toward the window.
His father had told them Isabella ordered Sofia’s death.
Lucia blamed Isabella for following her.
But Vittorio had apparently paid the man who sabotaged Lucia’s car.
Julian whispered,
“Where is my father?”
Claudia answered.
“He disappeared from police supervision forty minutes ago.”
Julian turned.
“What?”
“He wasn’t under arrest.”
“He left while officers were processing statements.”
Julian grabbed his phone.
Vittorio had sent one message.
4:58 a.m.
I AM SORRY.
Nothing else.
Julian called.
The number was disconnected.
Elena looked at him.
“He ran.”
Julian stared at the message.
“No.”
“What?”
“He didn’t run.”
Julian knew his father.
Vittorio Rossi did not apologize before running.
He apologized before doing something irreversible.
Julian looked at Claudia.
“Where would he go?”
She understood immediately.
“Villa Rossi.”
Julian grabbed his coat.
Elena tried to sit up.
“No.”
He turned.
“You’re staying.”
“My sister died because of him.”
“You just had surgery.”
“Julian.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
For once, he did not care if she hated the answer.
“Sofia needs you alive.”
“Adrian needs someone he knows.”
“And I need to know you are here when I come back.”
Elena stopped.
Julian softened his voice.
“I will tell you everything.”
“No more secrets.”
She looked at him.
“No more secrets.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Julian walked toward the door.
Elena called after him.
“Julian.”
He turned.
“If Vittorio did it…”
She swallowed.
“Don’t protect him.”
Julian stared at her.
May you like
“I won’t.”
Then he left to find his father.
