Chapter 2 - The Conspiracy of St. Cecilia’sThe storm outside raged with renewed fury as Leo stood in his private study on the second floor. The mahogany room was lit only by the crackling fire in the hearth and the pale glow of monitors displaying security feeds from every corner of the estate.
Downstairs in the basement holding room, Thomas Hail and Evelyn were being interrogated by Leo’s most trusted lieutenant, Marco. In the third-floor master suite, Clara and Willow were resting under the guard of three elite men.
And in the center of the study, standing before the desk, was Isabella. Her silk gown was rumpled, her perfect hair coming undone, her hands trembling as she stared at the glass of whiskey Leo had poured but not offered to her.
"Explain what Willow meant, Isabella," Leo demanded, sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped tightly together. "What happened on June 14th?"
"I don't know what that brat was talking about!" Isabella cried, her voice cracking with exhaustion and panic. "I went into distress at thirty-two weeks! Dr. Vance told me the baby was stillborn! He said there were complications with the cord! I was hysterical, Leo! You were in Europe! I knew if Victor found out, he would use my failure to push you out of the company!"
"So you called Thomas," Leo deduced, his voice razor-sharp.
"Thomas said he could fix it," Isabella sobbed, covering her face with her hands. "He said a woman in Indiana had delivered a healthy boy two days prior and wanted to sell him. Thomas arranged the paperwork. We brought the baby in through the private service elevator on June 18th and announced the birth! I was going to tell you eventually!"
"No, you weren't," Leo said coldly. "You were going to let me raise a stolen child while my true son's memory was buried under a pile of forged documents."
The study door opened, and Marco walked in. His hands were stained with fresh ink, and he carried a stack of printouts retrieved from Thomas Hail's encrypted laptop.
"Boss," Marco said, his face grave. "We broke Hail's encryption. You need to see this."
Marco placed the papers on the desk. Leo leaned forward, scanning the emails and wire transfers.
The paper trail was horrifyingly clear.
Dr. Arthur Vance, the chief obstetrician at St. Cecilia’s Private Maternity Wing, had received a wire transfer of two million dollars on the morning of June 14th. The transfer hadn't come from Isabella.
It had come from an offshore account registered under the name of V. Romano.
Victor Romano. Leo’s ruthless, power-hungry uncle.
"My God," Leo breathed out, his eyes widening as the full, sickening scope of the plot revealed itself. "Victor didn't just wait for me to fail. He bought the doctor."
"Read the medical logs from the encrypted server, boss," Marco said softly.
Leo flipped to the next page. It was an internal memo from Dr. Vance to Victor Romano:
Subject: Infant A Status. The child is healthy. Resuscitation was successful. Weight 5 lbs 4 oz. As instructed, the mother (Isabella Romano) was informed the infant was stillborn. The child has been transferred to the private care facility in Eastport under the pseudonym 'Patient Nine'. Holding until inheritance deadline passes.
Leo slammed his fist onto the mahogany desk so hard the glass bottle vibrated!
"He's alive," Leo gasped, his heart hammering against his ribs like a wild animal trying to escape a cage. "My son is alive!"
Isabella gasped, her hands dropping from her face, her eyes wide with shock. "What? Victor took him?!"
Leo stood up, his tall frame radiating a cold, lethal aura that made even Marco take a half-step back.
"Victor knew that if Isabella had a living heir, the trust would lock him out forever," Leo said, his voice dangerously steady. "He paid Dr. Vance to declare the baby dead, intending to keep the child hidden until tomorrow morning's board meeting. Once Victor seized control of Romano Holdings, he would have eliminated the baby permanently."
Leo turned to Marco. "Where is the Eastport facility?"
"It's an abandoned private clinic forty minutes north near the docks," Marco replied. "Victor has six guards posted there."
"Gather twelve men," Leo commanded, pulling a black custom sidearm from his desk drawer and checking the magazine with practiced efficiency. "We leave in five minutes."
"Leo, wait!" Isabella pleaded, rushing toward him. "What about me? What about the baby in the nursery?"
Leo looked down at his wife with complete detachment.
May you like
"The baby in the nursery will be taken to a proper, safe adoption agency tomorrow, where a real family will love him," Leo said softly. "And as for you, Isabella... when I return with my son, you will sign the divorce papers and pack your bags. You are no longer a Romano."
He brushed past her without another word.
