Chapter 12 - THE LETTER FROM HIS MOTHER
Luca opened his mother’s letter alone.
Then he read it again with Elena beside him.
Isabella had known Elena was pregnant.
Arthur told her Luca wanted nothing to do with the child.
He showed her a forged letter supposedly written by Luca.
In it, Luca claimed Elena was trying to trap him.
Isabella believed it.
For almost two years.
Then she discovered the truth.
Arthur had forged the letter.
He had also manipulated Luca’s medical care.
Isabella confronted him.
Arthur threatened to expose financial crimes committed by Luca’s late father, crimes that could destroy the family companies and send hundreds of innocent employees into unemployment.
Isabella stayed silent.
But she began gathering evidence.
She eventually learned about the neurological suppressant.
Before she could tell Luca, she became ill.
Her death had been diagnosed as heart failure.
Suddenly Luca no longer trusted that diagnosis either.
At the end of the letter, Isabella wrote about Maya.
If you are reading this, Arthur’s plan has failed somewhere.
I hope the child found you before he could use her.
I was a coward when courage mattered most.
Do not repeat my mistake.
Luca lowered the paper.
Elena touched his shoulder.
“You didn’t know.”
“My mother did.”
“And she tried to fix it.”
“Too late.”
Elena looked at him.
“Late and never are not the same thing.”
The phrase remained in his mind the next morning during physical therapy.
For the first time, Luca attempted supported standing.
Two therapists held him.
A harness protected him from falling.
His legs trembled violently.
Pain shot through muscles unused for twelve years.
He rose three inches from the wheelchair.
Then six.
Then his knees failed.
He dropped back into the seat.
Maya clapped anyway.
“You stood.”
“For four seconds.”
“That’s four more than yesterday.”
Luca looked at her.
Late and never are not the same thing.
That afternoon, federal investigators examined Isabella’s medical history.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Dr. Nathan Mercer.
Mercer had treated Luca’s mother during the final six months of her life.
When confronted, Mercer finally broke.
He admitted Isabella had not simply died from natural heart failure.
Her medication had been altered.
Not enough to cause immediate death.
Enough to worsen an existing condition.
Mercer insisted Arthur had ordered it.
Then he revealed one final detail.
Arthur had kept a recording of Isabella confronting him.
May you like
A recording that proved motive, poisoning, blackmail, and conspiracy.
And Vincent knew where the recording was hidden.
