Chapter 4 - silent echoes
Dante released Matteo's hand and turned slowly toward the toddler. His towering figure cast a long shadow across the polished floor, but his movement was slow and calculated as he crouched down to Mia's eye level.
"Mia," Dante said, his voice surprisingly gentle despite the terrifying authority behind it. "Which man on the phone?"
Elina's heart hammered in her ribs. She pulled Mia back slightly, her eyes pleading. "Mr. Moretti, please... she's just three. She plays near the corridors while I clean. She imagines things—"
"Elina," Dante interrupted without raising his voice, his gaze remaining fixed on the child. "Let her speak."
Mia looked at Dante, completely unbothered by his intimidating posture. She touched the white bow in her hair, thinking hard. "The man with the loud shoes. He came in when the nurse went to get towels. He talked into his pocket phone and touched the black box on the table."
Nina’s head snapped toward the bedside table. On it rested the digital medical monitor that tracked Matteo’s neurological activity and heart rate. Nina stepped over, inspecting the cables and the underlying port.
"No unauthorized staff are allowed in the east wing," Nina said calmly, though her dark eyes narrowed. "I stepped out twenty minutes ago to collect specialized saline from the dispensary. The hallway guard was supposed to be stationed at the door."
Dante stood up in a single, powerful movement. "The guard at the door is Marco."
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He reached inside his black suit jacket, pulled out an encrypted satellite phone, and pressed speed dial. The line rang twice before a voice answered.
"Clear the east wing security tapes for the last thirty minutes," Dante ordered coldly. "And bring Marco to the basement lounge. Now."
