Chapter 14 - THE POISON IN HER BLOOD|
Adrian reached the hospital before the ambulance doors had fully closed.
Isabella was taken directly into intensive care. Dr. Bennett met him outside the treatment room.
"Her heart rhythm is unstable. We found traces of the same compound from the earlier test."
Adrian gripped the doctor's shoulder.
"How?"
"We don't know yet. She hasn't received any medication from the old prescription."
"Then someone gave it to her."
"Possibly through another source."
Elena arrived with Margaret minutes later.
"How is she?"
Dr. Bennett looked at them.
"We're doing everything we can."
Adrian turned away, his hands shaking.
Elena approached him.
"She'll make it."
"You don't know that."
"No. But neither do they."
He looked at her.
For a moment, he seemed like a man who had forgotten how to breathe.
"She asked me whether her mother was coming home," he said quietly. "I told her I would find the truth. I promised."
Elena touched his arm.
"Then keep your promise."
Margaret sat in a chair, pale and exhausted.
A nurse approached with a small plastic bag.
"We found this in the child's belongings."
Inside was a silver hair clip.
Elena recognized it from the photograph of Sophia.
"Where did she get that?"
"She said someone gave it to her yesterday."
Adrian looked at Margaret.
"Who?"
Margaret shook her head.
"I don't know."
Elena opened the clip. A tiny compartment inside held a folded strip of paper.
The writing was Sophia's.
The antidote is in the black ledger. Find page fourteen.
Elena looked at Adrian.
"The ledger."
He called his security chief.
"Bring every document recovered from the clinic."
The man hesitated.
"Sir, the building was searched after the shooting. We found no ledger."
"Then search again."
Margaret suddenly stood.
"Wait."
She looked at the hair clip.
"Sophia had another one. She gave it to Isabella before she disappeared."
"Where is it?" Adrian asked.
"At the estate. In her nursery."
Elena remembered the drawing of the red-door house.
"Maybe she hid something there."
They returned to the mansion with a medical team on standby. Isabella remained at the hospital under constant monitoring.
In her nursery, Elena searched the drawers and toy boxes. Adrian examined the walls.
Margaret opened a small music box.
A lullaby played.
Then a hidden compartment clicked open.
Inside was a black leather notebook.
The ledger.
Elena opened it to page fourteen.
The page contained a chemical name, dosage information, and a handwritten formula.
Dr. Bennett examined it through a secure video call.
"This could be the counteragent. But I need to verify the composition."
"How long?" Adrian asked.
"At least an hour."
"She doesn't have an hour."
The doctor looked down at the document.
"I'll work as fast as I can."
Elena turned the page.
A second note was written beneath the formula.
If Isabella is sick, do not let Charles reach the hospital. He has access to the pharmacy.
Adrian looked up.
"Who has access?"
Margaret answered.
"Charles owns the company that supplies the hospital's medication."
Adrian called the security chief.
"Lock down the pharmacy. Nobody enters without Dr. Bennett's approval."
A few minutes later, the hospital called.
The treatment room had been breached.
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Someone had attempted to remove Isabella's medical file.
And the person caught on camera was wearing the uniform of Adrian Corsetti's personal security team.
