Chapter 4

Evelyn's POV:

Florian Keller was the top pediatric heart and transplant specialist in Zurich.

Six years ago, he'd asked me out, and I'd said no.

But Dante still didn't like him.

Florian's calm, professional voice put me at ease. "Send me her full medical records. Give me 20 minutes."

Twenty-two minutes later, he video-called me.

He got straight to the point. "My team and I have talked it over. We can get the RSV under control first, monitor the brain bleed, and then do the transplant as quickly as possible. But you'll need to fly her here on a medical jet, and it could cost several million dollars or more."

"Money isn't a problem."

When I hung up, I was shaking with excitement.

I hurried to Dr. Carter's office and asked him to start the transfer paperwork.

When I walked out of his office, I froze. Dante was standing at the door of Sophia's ICU room, his head tilted, frowning at me.

The armed bodyguards behind him had silenced the entire floor.

"Where did you go? Sophia's lying in there, and you weren't with her."

The night before, he'd given the only helicopter to someone else's child.

And now he was lecturing me on how to be a mother.

"I found another treatment option."

This wasn't the time to argue with him. "I'm taking Sophia to Zurich."

Dante's face darkened.

"You called Florian Keller?"

Even though nothing had ever happened between Florian and me, Dante's question made me uneasy. He might see the call as a betrayal.

I rubbed my fingertips together and nodded.

"He runs the pediatric heart transplant center in Zurich now. His team can use a ventricular assist device to buy Sophia time."

Dante scoffed.

"This is already the best pediatric transplant center in the world. You'd rather trust a man who once had feelings for you than your own husband?"

"That's not true, Dante. Listen to me—"

"She has a brain bleed, and she's got RSV. You want to send her across the Atlantic?"

Dante gave me a cold look.

"No."

Just then, a doctor wearing an oncology badge hurried over.

"Mr. Vassallo, Leo's fever has broken. He can be discharged within 48 hours."

At that, a wave of fury swept away my unease. I stared at Dante in disbelief.

So the two children had been in the same hospital all along.

Dante had chosen to get Leo treated first, and because of that, our daughter had lost the heart she'd waited three years for and was now fighting for her life.

He noticed my expression, and his own softened. He reached out to take my arm.

"Evelyn, there was only one helicopter. Leo didn't have a doctor with him. I thought—"

"Don't explain. And don't touch me."

I stepped back.

"Don't you get it? Isabella gave Sophia RSV through Leo!"

"That's impossible." He frowned, dismissing it at once.

"I saw both of their RSV test results. They were negative."

"It's a long story. I'll explain everything, but right now I need to take Sophia to Zurich," I said, desperate to make him listen.

"That isn't going to happen." His face darkened again.

"I'll never let that man touch my daughter."

I broke down. "Dante! Don't you understand? Sophia's heart has stopped three times in the past 24 hours! If she stays here, she could die at any moment!"

My lips trembled as I said the word "die."

"Sophia is safest here. We're done discussing it." Ignoring my panic, he issued the order coldly and walked away.

I closed my eyes and braced myself against the wall just to stay on my feet.

Had becoming a Mafia boss made him so used to giving orders that he could ignore the danger to his own daughter's life?

I was his wife, not one of his men who could put a bullet between an enemy's eyes.

I took a deep breath and forced down my feelings. Sophia's condition didn't leave me time to fall apart.

I called my father's cell.

"Dad, help me get a medical jet ready as fast as you can."

I was born a Ventresca. My family didn't have the Vassallo fortune, but we had connections throughout the medical world.

In less than two hours, everything was ready. All I had to do was pay a three-million-dollar deposit.

I opened my banking app, and a line of red text popped up on the screen.

"Account access denied."

My second account showed the same message.

Even Sophia's medical fund was locked.

Finally, I got through to the Vassallo family's finance office.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. The Don has frozen all your accounts."