THE MAFIA BOSS'S NEW WIFE THREW MY SICK MOTHER OUT OF THE MANSION DURING A THUNDERSTORM—THEN TOLD LUCA, “YOUR MAID WAS TRYING TO MOVE HER ENTIRE FAMILY INTO OUR HOUSE.

I stared at the fourteen names until the letters blurred.

Each represented someone who'd entered a hospital frightened, vulnerable, and hoping to get better.

Some were elderly.

Some were recovering from surgery.

Others had been admitted after medical emergencies that left their families struggling financially.

And somewhere between their hospital beds and the billing department, someone had approached them with the promise of assistance.

I thought about my mother, exhausted and frightened, signing papers because she'd believed a wealthy woman was trying to help her daughter.

Then I imagined thirteen other families hearing the same promise.

My anger turned cold.

"Where did you get this list?" Maya asked Olivia.

Olivia clasped her hands together.

"I found it among administrative papers left behind after the outside contractor's temporary assignment ended."

She looked embarrassed.

"I should have reported it immediately."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I thought it was an ordinary patient-assistance tracking sheet."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"But after I saw the article, I remembered something."

I leaned forward.

"What?"

"The woman who visited your mother had another person with her."

"A man with silver hair?"

Olivia shook her head.

"No."

"A younger woman with blonde hair, carrying a tablet."

She swallowed.

"She told me she was collecting signatures for a private foundation."

Maya wrote the description down.

"Did she give you a name?"

"Marissa Cole."

Then Olivia added something that made my heart race.

"I checked with hospital administration yesterday."

"They couldn't find anyone properly registered in that role under that name."

Within an hour, Detective Ramirez was interviewing Olivia.

Hospital administrators began preserving the records associated with Lakefront Administrative Services and reviewing whether patient information had been accessed improperly.

Maya warned me not to contact anyone on the list myself.

The investigation had become far larger than my missing wages.

The police needed to establish whether those patients had actually been victimized, rather than assuming every signature was fraudulent.

But the pattern was frightening.

The same outside contractor.

The same promise of medical assistance.

The same requests for financial authorization.

And the same wealthy woman who'd thrown my mother into a thunderstorm.

That afternoon, Luca asked to speak with me privately.

We sat in a quiet hospital conference room while Gabriel waited outside.

He looked exhausted.

For the first time, there were dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Claire, Daniel found something else."

I folded my hands.

"What?"

"Lakefront Administrative Services received payments from my companies through invoices approved by Adrian."

"Does that mean your company knew what was happening?"

"Not necessarily."

He hesitated.

"But it means I need to examine what was being done in my name."

I stared at him.

"You're telling me your own money was used to help steal my mother's identity?"

He didn't look away.

"That may be what the evidence shows."

My throat tightened.

"Then why should I trust you?"

The question hung between us.

Luca Moretti was a man accustomed to obedience.

His name could silence a crowded room.

But I was no longer standing in his mansion with a serving tray in my hands.

My mother was fighting for her life.

And I had almost been framed for stealing millions.

I needed more than reassuring words.

Luca looked down.

"You shouldn't trust me just because I ask you to."

He spoke slowly.

"You should watch what I do."

I nodded.

"Then start by telling the investigators everything you know about Adrian."

He met my eyes.

"I already have."

"And if they find something you've done wrong?"

He took a long breath.

"Then I'll have to answer for it."

I studied him.

For years, Luca's power had seemed like the safest thing in the mansion.

No one challenged his decisions.

No one questioned his authority.

But Vanessa had hidden behind that power while hurting people he barely noticed.

I was beginning to understand that a powerful man could protect someone and still fail them terribly.

And I wasn't willing to confuse his protection with innocence.

Later that evening, Daniel arrived with another discovery.

His accounting review showed that several suspicious payments labeled as charitable medical assistance had passed through Lakefront's accounts.

Some were associated with entities linked to Victor Hale.

Others appeared to have been supported by incomplete or questionable paperwork.

The largest amount was still the $2.4 million transferred using my forged signature.

But the total questionable activity could be much higher.

"Why would they do all this?" I asked.

Daniel rubbed his eyes.

"Money is one reason."

"And another?"

He looked toward Luca.

"Control."

Luca's expression changed.

Daniel continued.

"If Victor Hale can create enough financial trouble around your businesses, he may be able to pressure your lenders and acquire valuable assets at a fraction of their worth."

I looked from one man to the other.

"So my mother was just a signature to them?"

Daniel lowered his head.

"That's how they treated her."

A terrible silence followed.

Then his phone vibrated.

He read the message and suddenly stood.

"Boss, I need to leave."

Luca frowned.

"Why?"

Daniel glanced at me.

"Someone just sent me a copy of Adrian's private payment ledger."