Chapter 2 - THE ACCOUNT WITH HIS MOTHER’S NAME
Julian left Bellini’s office with one thought burning through his mind.
Rossi Holdings.
His company had more than twelve thousand employees.
But only a handful of executives could issue a private employment directive without his authorization.
His father.
His mother.
His brother.
The chief financial officer.
And Julian himself.
He pulled out his phone.
Matteo answered on the first ring.
“I need the authorization record for Elena’s employment.”
“I’m already looking.”
“It came through Rossi Holdings.”
Matteo went silent.
“How do you know?”
“The hotel manager told me.”
“That shouldn’t be possible.”
“Why?”
“Because there is no visible record of Rossi Holdings employing or transferring Elena Moretti.”
“Then someone erased it.”
“Possibly.”
“Recover it.”
“I’ll need access to the archived server.”
“Do it.”
“Julian.”
Matteo rarely used his first name.
That alone made him stop.
“What?”
“There’s something else about the bank account.”
Julian walked toward a quiet corner of the lobby.
“You traced it?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Matteo hesitated.
“The account receiving Elena’s salary belongs to a private family trust.”
Julian felt his stomach tighten.
“Which trust?”
“The Contessa Bianca Trust.”
Julian knew the name.
His grandmother had created it decades ago.
After her death, control passed to one person.
Julian whispered,
“My mother.”
“Yes.”
The lobby seemed to tilt.
“No.”
“I checked twice.”
“Check again.”
“I did.”
“Matteo.”
“I’m sorry.”
Julian closed his eyes.
His mother.
Isabella Rossi.
Elegant.
Controlled.
The woman who had held Julian’s face in her hands three days after Elena disappeared and told him to stop destroying himself.
The woman who had insisted Elena had never truly belonged in their family.
The woman who had encouraged him to begin dating again.
The woman who had introduced him to Camila.
Julian opened his eyes.
“Find Elena’s missing month.”
“I’m working on it.”
“And don’t access the company servers from your office.”
Matteo understood immediately.
“You think someone is watching?”
“I think someone has been lying to me for eight months.”
Julian ended the call.
He needed Elena.
But when he returned to the staff corridor, she was gone.
Bellini refused to say where.
Claudia Vieri had disappeared too.
Julian waited.
Ten minutes.
Twenty.
Thirty.
At 10:17 p.m., Matteo called again.
“I found something.”
Julian answered immediately.
“What?”
“A private clinic outside Como.”
Julian frowned.
“What about it?”
“Elena was admitted there eight months ago.”
His pulse jumped.
“When?”
“Two days after she disappeared.”
“For what?”
“The medical file is sealed.”
“How long was she there?”
“Twenty-six days.”
Julian gripped the phone.
Twenty-six days.
Almost the entire missing month.
“Who paid?”
“That’s where it gets worse.”
“Tell me.”
“The Contessa Bianca Trust.”
Julian stared through the hotel’s glass doors into the darkness outside.
His mother had paid for Elena’s clinic stay.
Then Elena had appeared at the Grand Alcazar under another name.
And her wages had been redirected into his mother’s trust.
None of it made sense.
Unless Elena had been controlled.
Or hidden.
Julian whispered,
“Send me the clinic address.”
“I already did.”
“I’m going there.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What about Elena?”
Julian looked toward the staff corridor.
“She won’t talk while she thinks someone is watching.”
He ended the call.
His phone immediately rang again.
Mother.
Julian stared at the screen.
He had not contacted her.
No one was supposed to know.
Yet she was calling.
He answered.
“Mother.”
“Julian.”
Isabella’s voice was calm.
“Where are you?”
He looked around the lobby.
“Why?”
“I was told you missed dinner.”
His skin prickled.
“Who told you?”
“Camila.”
Of course.
Julian relaxed slightly.
“She went home.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you calling?”
A pause.
“Because she was upset.”
“That isn’t an emergency.”
“No.”
Another pause.
“But finding Elena apparently is.”
Julian stopped.
The lobby vanished around him.
“How do you know?”
Silence.
Then Isabella sighed.
“Come home.”
“Answer the question.”
“Julian.”
“How do you know I found Elena?”
“Come home and we’ll discuss it.”
His jaw tightened.
“Did you know where she was?”
“Not over the phone.”
“Did you?”
“Julian.”
His voice dropped.
“Did you know?”
Isabella said nothing.
That was enough.
Julian ended the call.
He was already walking toward the doors when someone stepped into his path.
Elena.
She had changed out of her uniform.
She wore an old beige coat over a simple black dress.
Her hair was loose now.
She looked even younger.
And more tired.
Her eyes went to his phone.
“Who were you talking to?”
“My mother.”
Elena turned white.
Julian saw it.
“Why does that frighten you?”
“I have to go.”
He stepped in front of her.
“No.”
“Move.”
“My mother knew I found you.”
Elena’s eyes closed.
“Elena.”
“Move.”
“She paid for the clinic.”
Elena froze.
Julian watched every trace of color leave her face.
“I know about Como.”
Her hand moved protectively over her stomach.
“Who told you?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It matters.”
“Why were you there?”
Elena looked around.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
“Nowhere.”
She tried to pass him.
Julian lowered his voice.
“Was it because of the baby?”
Elena stopped.
He saw tears appear in her eyes.
She fought them immediately.
“Please.”
“Is the baby mine?”
Her face crumpled.
Only for an instant.
But it was enough.
Julian knew.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
“Elena.”
She looked at him.
He whispered,
“The baby is mine.”
She said nothing.
“Elena.”
A tear slid down her cheek.
Julian forgot the hotel.
Forgot Camila.
Forgot his mother.
Forgot eight months of anger.
“How far along?”
Elena looked at the floor.
“Thirty-four weeks.”
Julian did the calculation instantly.
His knees almost weakened.
Thirty-four weeks.
The child had been conceived before she disappeared.
His child.
“You were pregnant when you left.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
“I tried.”
“What?”
Elena looked up.
“I tried to tell you.”
“When?”
“The night before I disappeared.”
Julian searched his memory.
He had been in Zurich.
No.
He had planned to be in Zurich.
Then his mother had called.
Luca had supposedly been involved in an emergency board meeting.
Julian had left home early.
Elena had asked him not to go.
He remembered her standing beside the staircase.
“Can you stay for ten minutes?”
He had kissed her forehead.
“Tonight.”
There had been no tonight.
Julian whispered,
“You said you needed to tell me something.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call?”
“I did.”
“I never received a call.”
“I called eleven times.”
Julian stared at her.
“That’s impossible.”
“I left messages.”
“I never got them.”
“I sent you the ultrasound.”
His breathing stopped.
“What ultrasound?”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“You really didn’t know.”
“No.”
Her face changed.
The last piece of certainty she had been holding onto seemed to crack.
“Julian…”
“I swear to you.”
She stared at him.
“I never received anything.”
Elena backed away.
“No.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth.
“All this time…”
Julian stepped toward her.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“All this time, I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That I was pregnant.”
His chest tightened.
“And?”
“That you chose them anyway.”
“Chose who?”
Elena looked toward the revolving doors.
A black sedan had pulled up outside.
Her fear returned instantly.
“I have to go.”
Julian looked at the car.
“Is that your ride?”
“No.”
“Then whose?”
Elena grabbed his wrist.
The sudden contact shocked him.
“Listen to me.”
Her voice was barely audible.
“Do not go home tonight.”
“Why?”
“Do not go to your mother.”
“Elena—”
“And don’t eat or drink anything she gives you.”
Julian stared at her.
“What are you talking about?”
The sedan doors opened.
Two men stepped out.
Elena’s grip tightened.
“You need to trust me once.”
Julian looked at the approaching men.
“Who are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“Elena.”
“I said I don’t know.”
One man entered the lobby.
Dark suit.
No tie.
He looked directly at Elena.
Then Julian.
Elena stepped away.
“Go upstairs.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“I can’t.”
The man was getting closer.
Julian moved between him and Elena.
The stranger stopped.
“Mrs. Moretti?”
Julian’s voice turned cold.
“Who are you?”
The man ignored him.
“Your transportation is waiting.”
Elena looked terrified.
“I didn’t request transportation.”
The man smiled.
“It was arranged for you.”
“By whom?”
“You know who.”
Julian stepped closer.
“She isn’t going anywhere.”
The stranger finally looked at him.
“Mr. Rossi.”
So he knew Julian.
That confirmed everything.
“Who sent you?”
“No one you need to concern yourself with.”
Julian smiled without humor.
“That was the wrong answer.”
Hotel security began moving toward them.
The stranger glanced around.
Then stepped back.
“This doesn’t concern you.”
Julian’s expression hardened.
“She is my wife.”
“And that is precisely why it concerns you.”
Julian went still.
The man turned.
He walked out.
The sedan pulled away.
Elena watched until it disappeared.
Then her knees buckled.
Julian caught her.
“Elena!”
She grabbed his jacket.
“Don’t let them take me back.”
The words came out broken.
Julian held her upright.
“Back where?”
She looked into his eyes.
“The clinic.”
And then Julian understood.
May you like
Elena had not checked herself into that clinic.
Someone had put her there.
