Chapter 19 - THE PERSON WHO OPENED THE DOOR| The security system recorded no entry at 12:14 a.m.
The office door had remained locked, and every window was sealed. Yet Nina's notebook contained a precise time, and a microphone in the corridor had captured a faint metallic sound.
Adriano listened to the recording.
A door opened.
Footsteps crossed the floor.
A glass touched a hard surface.
Then a woman's voice whispered two words.
"Not yet."
The voice was too quiet for identification, but the timing matched Nina's entry.
Marcus reviewed the visitor records.
"Only four women have accessed the estate after midnight in the past month: Valentina, Martha, Rosa, and the private caregiver listed in your mother's old medical file."
"Where is the caregiver?"
"The address is false. The person appears to have used a professional identity that belonged to someone who died ten years ago."
Adriano closed his eyes.
The family had become a maze of false names and hidden doors.
He turned toward Nina.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I thought it was Mr. Simone. I didn't want to get him in trouble if I was wrong."
Adriano felt a wave of guilt.
"You did the right thing by writing it down."
Nina looked at the recording.
"Can you hear what she said?"
"Yes."
"Then maybe you can find her."
Adriano nodded.
"We will."
He instructed Marcus to keep the investigation limited to a small team and authorized a search of the old medical center's records. He also arranged for an independent doctor to assess his health, ensuring that no medication or treatment would be administered without informed consent.
The new evaluation confirmed that he had been exposed to a substance capable of impairing alertness and memory. The effects were consistent with the symptoms he had experienced, though the precise source and timing remained under investigation.
For the first time in months, Adriano understood that his memory lapses had not been a personal failure.
Someone had deliberately exploited them.
That evening, he visited Eleanor and Patricia at the protected residence where they had been moved. Eleanor held his hand while Patricia signed a message.
The person who turned the glass was trying to warn you.
"Then why didn't they tell me directly?" Adriano asked.
Patricia signed again.
Because the person who controls the office can see every message you receive.
Adriano looked at Marcus.
The office camera system.
The locked doors.
The family trust.
Everything had been designed to protect his privacy, but someone had used those same protections to control him.
"Who has access to the master system?" he asked.
Marcus answered carefully.
"You, me, Simone, and one other person."
"Who?"
Marcus lowered his eyes.
"Your family attorney."
Adriano's stomach tightened.
Daniel Price had handled the Moretti and Castellano estates for decades. He had reviewed every trust amendment, every medical authorization, and every private transfer.
He was also the man who had certified that Adriano was fit to manage the family business.
Adriano called him.
The attorney answered immediately.
"Adriano. I've been expecting your call."
"Then you know why I'm calling."
A pause followed.
"I know more than you think."
Adriano stared at the phone.
"Tell me where my mother is."
May you like
The attorney sighed.
"First, you must understand that the woman you've been searching for may not be the only person your father hid."
