# CHAPTER 6 — SEVEN MINUTES
Mara carried Emma to the medical room.
A rash spread across the child’s hand and wrist.
Dr. Reed arrived through the estate’s helicopter entrance less than two minutes later, carrying four EpiPens.
He administered one immediately.
Emma’s breathing never stopped, but Mara remained beside the bed until the redness began fading.
Alejandro stood in the doorway.
For the first time that day, he looked frightened.
Not angry.
Not suspicious.
Frightened.
“The glass caused the reaction?” he asked.
Reed shook his head.
“Probably residue on the memory card. Someone coated it with the same allergen used in your wine.”
Mara looked toward Alejandro.
“They knew she would pick it up.”
“Or they knew anyone handling the evidence might be exposed,” Reed said.
“No,” Mara replied. “The note mentioned the child with the rabbit.”
Alejandro turned toward Gabriel.
“Can you read the card without touching it?”
Gabriel placed it inside a sealed reader.
The first files were corrupted.
The next contained empty hours of footage from the study.
At 4:11 p.m., Alejandro entered and sat at his desk.
At 4:19, Teresa Vale brought the wine.
She placed the tray beside him and left.
At 4:23, the study door opened again.
A figure entered wearing a long black coat.
The hood concealed the person’s face.
The figure removed a small bottle and leaned over Alejandro’s glass while his back was turned.
Bruno paused the footage.
A silver wolf cufflink gleamed beneath the sleeve.
“Continue,” Alejandro said.
The figure poured something into the wine.
Then another person appeared in the doorway.
Teresa.
She looked terrified.
The figure grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.
There was no audio, but Teresa’s mouth formed two clear words.
My son.
The figure released her and pointed toward the wine.
Teresa began crying.
She took the tray and moved it closer to Alejandro’s hand.
The hooded person left first.
Teresa followed seconds later.
At 4:35, Alejandro lifted the glass.
At 4:37, he collapsed.
Emma entered at 4:39.
Gabriel froze the image.
“She saved you less than two minutes after you stopped breathing normally.”
Alejandro watched Emma kneeling beside his body.
No hesitation.
No panic.
Just a child using her last chance at survival to save his.
“Show me the person leaving,” Bruno said.
Gabriel rewound the recording.
The figure crossed the study, but the hood remained low.
Then the left hand reached for the door.
A ring flashed.
Matteo leaned closer.
The ring carried the Moretti crest.
Only members of Alejandro’s blood family wore it.
Alejandro had one.
Lucia had one.
Their cousin Nico had one.
And their late father’s ring had been buried with him.
Gabriel enlarged the image.
The ring was not worn on the little finger, as Moretti men traditionally wore it.
It was on the ring finger.
Lucia Moretti wore hers on that exact hand.
The doors to the medical room opened.
A guard entered.
“Lucia Moretti has arrived at the front gate.”
Alejandro continued staring at the frozen image.
May you like
“Did she say why?”
“She says someone called and told her you were dead.”
