Chapter 4

Unspoken Truths - Chapter 4

Damian

The doctor hesitated before letting us in, but he must’ve known we weren’t leaving without seeing her. With a reluctant nod, he turned and led us down the hall.

The second I stepped inside, I froze. The room was small, too small and packed with people. Four beds; three kids all surrounded by their families and my Sareena in the far corner bed, all alone. And then it hit me. They put her in the Pediatric Ward. She’s here because she’s only eighteen. Still technically a child in their eyes. If that doesn’t make me feel like a creepy old man, nothing will. My fiancée is sharing a room with kids in cartoon pajamas. But something else wasn’t right. Why the hell was she in a shared room to begin with?

Gino must’ve been thinking the same thing. His jaw clenched as he scanned the space, then turned to me. “Why is she in a room like this? We have insurance. It’ll cover everything.” His voice was sharp, brimming with authority. “I’m going to administration to fix this. You make sure she’s okay.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Just turned on his heel and walked out, leaving me alone. Alone with Sareena.

⸻

Gino Morelli

I had to get out of that room. How could they put my granddaughter in a shared space like that? I paid for the family’s insurance. Sareena should have been in a private suite, getting the best care my money could buy. How was she supposed to rest with all that noise around her?

I pulled out my phone, hands shaking as I dialed the insurance agent. What he told me; Unbelievable. Riccardo had taken her name off the insurance coverage over five years ago. Even though I was paying for it. Why wasn’t I told? The only coverage she had was through school.

My stomach dropped. I didn’t waste a second, I needed more answers to the questions popping into my head. I needed to know how Riccardo could betray me like this.

After hanging up with the Insurance Agent, I called my contact at the bank, the one who’d managed all our family’s finances for years. Asking for confidential details was a stretch, but he’d known me long enough to trust me. What I heard confirmed my worst fear. Riccardo had cut Sareena off completely. Not a single deposit in her account. Not even one cent from the money I’d been giving him every month for her.

How evil was my son?

I checked Maria’s accounts next; practically empty. No transfers to Sareena, from this account either. The balance was just enough to keep up appearances.

Then I looked into Sophia’s. Overflowing. Credit cards - five of them. Unlimited. Riccardo had been funneling everything to her. And just like that, some of the lies Sophia told me came crashing down. She’d claimed Riccardo had been cruel to her. That he’d forced her into all his dirty schemes. That he gave Sareena everything while she had to beg for scraps. But the truth was staring me in the face. She’d played me, and I’d let her.

I stormed toward the cashier’s office. Whatever it cost, Sareena would get the care she deserved.

“Good evening. My name is Gino Morelli and My granddaughter, Dr. Sareena Morelli, was admitted earlier today. Can you confirm what her insurance covers? I’d like to upgrade her to the premium care package. Suite, round-the-clock staff, the works. I am her legal guardian,” I said.

The receptionist glanced up with a polite smile, typing quickly. “Yes, of course, Mr. Morelli.”

Within minutes, they charged me a fortune; but I didn’t care. Didn’t even blink. My bambina’s health was worth every dollar.

“We’re clearing out one of our premium suites now,” the woman said, handing me the receipt. “Dr. Morelli will be transferred as soon as possible.”

Relieved, I turned to head back when I heard a nurse’s voice float across the hallway.

“Ms. Morelli? Yes, Pediatrics 7 West, room 7221,” she said into the phone, then paused. “No, it’s a shared room, but visiting hours end at 8 p.m., sir. You’ll have to come tomorrow.”

Another pause. Then cheerfully, “No problem, sir! I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you tomorrow. Good night!”

I froze mid-step. My gut twisting. Who the hell was calling to check on Sareena? It had to be a trap. My feet moved before my brain caught up. I didn’t care who it was; but someone was coming for my bambina.

_________

Sophia

I was relaxing in my bathtub, champagne in hand, when Anita called, her voice high-pitched and trembling with panic. She was spiraling over Damian’s threats, convinced the police would show up any second. Dramatic, as always.

I sighed as I swirled my drink. “Anita, calm down. I was at the hospital until one. If they were going to involve the cops, they would’ve done it by now.” But she kept rambling about worst-case scenarios, legal consequences, Sareena waking up - blah, blah, blah.

“Listen,” I cut in, rolling my eyes. “I’ll send someone to the airport to make sure the security footage is erased. So, stop panicking and pull yourself together. And even if there is anything happening, you’ll deal with it, or else Gennaro will find out who stole the money from the club.”

I hung up and leaned back against the porcelain, taking another long sip, when my phone buzzed again.

Janelle. What now, this useless bitch? I forced a smile into my voice. “Hello, Janelle. What’s up?”

“Sophia,” she sobbed, “my brother just told me that Damian’s men are looking for both of us! I heard Sareena hasn’t woken up yet. What if she’s dead? You have to ensure that you will keep us protected.”

I smirked. “I don’t have to do anything for you,” I said coolly. “If you and your useless brother don’t handle this yourselves, I’ll make sure your father sees exactly what you’ve been up to. I’m sure he’d love to watch his little baby girl getting rammed from both ends.”

Her sobs turned into choked gasps, but I hung up. I didn’t have time for her dramatics. She knew damn well I’d release the footage of her, Carmen, and Marissa if she didn’t keep her mouth shut and her head down. Still, I couldn’t relax. Something felt… off. I picked up my phone again and dialed one of my father’s guards.

“Nico, hi. It’s Sophia,” I purred. “Can you do me a favor? Call Queens Hospital Centre. I need to know where they dumped Sareena, and I want you to make sure she doesn’t wake up. Also need you to go to JFK’s Private Hanger that Luca uses… Wipe all of today’s footage from every single camera.”

I let the words linger before adding, casually, “Make me happy, or I’ll make sure your wife and father-in-law are very unhappy. Speaking of which… how’s your girlfriend? And those two bastard children?”

I laughed before hanging up. That was all the motivation he needed to get my job done. Nico had married into power, the daughter of a Familia lawyer. His wife was the perfect little housewife, and clueless that he had a mistress and two kids tucked away in a different borough. If she found out? If her father found out? Nico would be a dead man. And so would his entire family.

Twenty minutes later, he called back. “She’s alive,” he muttered. “Still in Pediatrics - 7 West, room 7221. It’s a shared room, with three other kids. I can sneak in tonight and add something to her IV. I’ll see what I can do about the cameras tonight too.”

He hesitated. “But after this… I’m out. I don’t care what you have on me. After tonight, don’t call me again.”

I smirked. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll see.” I hung up.

He belonged to me. If he didn’t come through…. I’d burn his whole world to the ground.