Chapter 7 - toxin in the vein
Nina entered the room within seconds, her expression alert. Dante didn't wait for her to ask.
"Check Matteo's IV drips," Dante commanded, his voice cold as ice. "Test every vial of sedative and pain management we've received over the last four weeks. Someone is keeping him under."
Nina didn't hesitate. She turned and ran back toward Matteo’s bedroom. Dante followed immediately, his long strides clearing the hallway in seconds, with Elina carrying Mia close behind.
Inside Matteo's room, Nina approached the IV stand holding clear fluid bags. She pulled a sterile syringe from her cardigan pocket, drew a sample from the port directly above the needle line, and applied it to a portable chemical diagnostic pad she kept in her medical kit.
For two tense minutes, the room was silent except for the steady beep of the heart monitor.
The diagnostic strip slowly turned a deep, dark purple.
Nina gasped softly, looking up at Dante. "It's a synthetic neuro-inhibitor. It mimics a deep coma state by suppressing brain stem electrical pulses. In small doses, it prevents him from regaining consciousness without showing up on standard blood panels."
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Dante’s blue eyes burned with absolute fury. "Who supplies those IV bags?"
"They are delivered every Tuesday directly from our private clinic," Nina said, her hands remaining completely steady despite the weight of the revelation. "Only three people have clearance to sign for those deliveries."
