Chapter 2 - THE MAN BEHIND THE BOOKS
The paramedics arrived in seven minutes.
Alejandro was conscious by the time they transferred him to the
stretcher, but his voice was weak and his expression furious with
confusion.
“Wine,” he managed. “Who brought the wine?”
No one answered.
The guards cleared the hallway. Sofia stood with Emma beside the wall,
holding the empty red medical case. Her hands were shaking so hard that
the plastic clasp rattled.
A paramedic asked who had administered the injection.
Emma raised her small hand.
“I did.”
The paramedic looked at Sofia. “You used the prescribed emergency
device?”
Sofia nodded. “It was her mother’s spare. I carry it because Emma has a
serious allergy. It was the only one we had left.”
“Was it prescribed for the child?”
“Yes. It’s hers.”
The paramedic gave Emma a gentle smile. “You helped him, sweetheart. But
you did the right thing by calling for adults too. The hospital team
needs to check him carefully.”
As the stretcher passed, Alejandro turned his head.
“Emma.”
The child stepped forward.
He tried to lift a hand, but the paramedic told him to rest.
“You saved my life,” he whispered.
Emma looked at the empty case. “You have to get better.”
Alejandro’s eyes closed as the ambulance doors shut.
At the hospital, doctors confirmed that Alejandro had suffered a severe
anaphylactic reaction. His allergy to tree nuts was documented in his
medical file, and the preliminary assessment suggested that a
nut-derived ingredient had entered his drink. The doctors emphasized
that the auto-injector had been emergency treatment, not a substitute
for hospital care. He would remain under observation.
Sofia and Emma were taken to a guest apartment on the estate after
giving statements to the police.
At 2:40 a.m., the head of security, Marcus Bell, entered Alejandro’s
study with a technician.
“Boss told us to preserve the room,” Marcus said. “No one touches
anything.”
The technician checked the desk, the broken glass, the decanter, and the
security console. Then he noticed a small reflection behind the books.
“There’s a lens.”
Marcus stepped closer.
A concealed camera had been installed inside the bookcase, facing the
desk. It was not part of the mansion’s standard security system. Its
wiring disappeared into the wall.
“Can you recover the footage?”
“If it’s recording locally, yes.”
The technician removed a slim storage module. Within minutes, the video
appeared on a monitor.
At 11:54 p.m., Julian Vance entered the study.
Julian was Alejandro’s chief legal adviser. He had drafted the contracts
that built Moretti Holdings, negotiated acquisitions, and represented
the family through two major investigations. He had been with Alejandro
for fourteen years.
On the recording, Julian looked toward the door, then toward the
camera’s hidden position. He seemed certain no one was watching.
He removed a small vial from his jacket.
He opened the wine decanter.
He poured a few drops into Alejandro’s glass and stirred it with a
cocktail pick.
Then he placed the vial back in his pocket and left.
Marcus watched the recording twice.
“Get the original file,” he ordered. “Make three verified copies. One
for the police, one for the hospital investigator, and one for the
boss’s attorney.”
The technician hesitated. “Should we tell the board?”
“Not until Mr. Moretti decides.”
Marcus looked at the frozen image of Julian holding the vial.
For fourteen years, the man had sat beside Alejandro at every important
negotiation.
Now the evidence showed him preparing a drink that could have killed his
employer.
May you like
And the only person who had noticed something was wrong had been a
four-year-old girl.
