Chapter 9 - Elena Packs a Suitcase
Elena packed that night.
One suitcase for herself.
One for Maya.
Luca found them beside the staff entrance.
“You’re leaving.”
“I’m taking my daughter somewhere she can still be a child.”
“I can move you somewhere secure.”
“That is exactly the problem.”
Elena faced him.
“Everything with you becomes guards, gates, lawyers, money, strategy.”
“That keeps people alive.”
“It also keeps them trapped.”
Luca had no answer.
Maya came down the stairs carrying her backpack.
She looked angry.
Not frightened.
“Elena.”
Her mother turned.
“I don’t want to go.”
“Maya.”
“You said we tell the truth.”
“Yes.”
“Then the truth is I want to stay.”
Elena stared at her daughter.
Maya continued.
“I found him.”
She pointed at Luca.
“I found out his legs weren’t dead.”
Her voice shook now.
“I found out he’s my dad.”
Then she looked at Luca.
“And somebody hurt him because of me before I was even born.”
“No.”
Luca’s voice cut through the room.
“You are not responsible for what adults did before you were born.”
Maya’s eyes filled.
“But they knew.”
“They knew your mother was pregnant.”
“That means me.”
“It means them.”
He wheeled closer.
“Never confuse another person’s cruelty with your responsibility.”
Elena looked at him differently after that.
The suitcases stayed.
But the next morning brought worse news.
Dominic called an emergency meeting of the Costello board.
His stated reason was Luca’s declining judgment.
He cited secret medical experiments.
Unstable accusations.
Undisclosed heirs.
Security irregularities.
He wanted Luca declared temporarily incapable of controlling the companies.
The vote would occur in five days.
Rebecca slammed the notice onto the desk.
“He’s not hiding anymore.”
Luca looked toward his right leg.
It twitched beneath the blanket.
Five days.
For twelve years, Luca had believed he had unlimited time because his condition would never change.
Now everything had a clock.
His company.
His family.
His body.
May you like
And Dominic had just started counting down.
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