Chapter 8 - THE SAFE DEPOSIT BOX|
Carlo Varenna was Luca's uncle and Augusto's younger brother.
He had spent most of his life presenting himself as the reasonable member of the family. He donated to hospitals, attended charity galas, and smiled for photographs beside politicians.
But according to Elena, he had helped take Luca's first child.
Luca didn't confront him immediately.
He wanted evidence.
The safe deposit box was registered under Isabella's maiden name. The bank required Teresa to confirm the identity of the original account holder, so we brought her with us.
The box contained three items.
A sealed envelope.
A small digital recorder.
And a photograph of Isabella standing beside a man I recognized from the old family portraits.
Augusto.
On the back, Isabella had written:
The truth is never buried. It is only hidden until someone is brave enough to dig.
Luca opened the envelope.
Inside were copies of laboratory reports, payment records, and a handwritten statement from Dr. Thomas Hale.
The statement described a procedure performed after Luca's accident. According to the document, Luca's reproductive function had been preserved.
The diagnosis of permanent infertility had been issued later, after a meeting between Dr. Hale, Augusto, and Carlo.
There was no medical reason for the diagnosis.
It had been manufactured.
Luca read the statement in silence.
Then he played the recorder.
His mother's voice filled the small bank office.
“Augusto, I know what you did. I know Luca's diagnosis was changed. I know you took Matteo from Elena. You cannot keep doing this.”
A man's voice answered.
“You don't understand the business.”
“I understand that you have destroyed our son.”
“I protected him.”
“You stole his child.”
“I secured his future.”
Isabella's voice shook.
“His future? You have made him believe he is broken.”
A pause.
Then Augusto spoke again.
“Luca will never know. And if you tell him, you'll lose everything.”
The recording ended.
Teresa covered her mouth.
Luca stared at the recorder.
He looked as though someone had reached inside him and pulled out twelve years of his life.
I touched his arm.
“I'm here.”
He nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on the device.
“There's more,” Marco said.
He had been reviewing the documents.
A series of payments had been made to a company called Northstar Biomedical. The company had received funding from Varenna Holdings and had conducted research involving reproductive medicine.
The dates matched the period when Luca was treated at Saint Gabriel.
“Who runs Northstar?” Luca asked.
Marco checked the corporate records.
“Carlo Varenna.”
Luca stood.
“Then my uncle wasn't just helping my father.”
“No,” Marco said. “He was making money from it.”
I looked at the papers.
“Why would they need to hide your fertility?”
Luca studied a final document.
It was a draft agreement between the Varenna family and a foreign crime syndicate. The agreement required Luca to remain without a recognized heir until a certain business alliance was finalized.
A child could have changed the inheritance.
Could have changed the power structure.
Luca's phone rang.
It was Dr. Sofia.
“Luca, I need you to come to the hospital.”
“What's wrong?”
“It's not about Evelyn.”
May you like
Her voice lowered.
“Someone has accessed your medical records. And they've requested a new test using the baby's DNA.”
