جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 9

After sending the message, I returned to the private lounge and removed the silver DeLuca crest pinned above my heart.Luca, the newly appointed Don of the DeLuca family, followed me inside. Marco and two of his men came with him, the remains of their amusement still visible. Bianca, Luca’s childhood companion, entered last, carrying the larger family emblem removed from the ballroom.Luca’s gaze settled on the pin I had placed on the vanity.“Put it back on.”“Tonight’s engagement was fake. Why should I wear it?”The room went quiet.Marco lifted his glass. “It was a joke, Elena. None of us expected you to take the preparations this far.”“A month ago, Luca put a ring on my finger himself. Every day since then, you asked how the party was coming along. You even gave me the guest list.”I looked from one face to the next.“I spent three nights checking security. I approved the wine and menu and sealed every invitation by hand. All of you watched me do it, then waited until tonight to t

The elevator opened just as I reached it.My mother stepped out carrying a carefully wrapped box, her coat still unbuttoned.“Elena, am I late? They said the party had been delayed.”She looked past me at the ballroom being dismantled.“Has Mrs. DeLuca arrived? I brought her something.”The box held a rare set of opera recordings she had spent weeks finding. She knew Mrs. DeLuca loved opera. She also knew the woman had never agreed to meet us.“The party has been canceled,” I said.Her smile faltered. “Did something happen?”Luca approached from behind me.“Teresa, there’s been a misunderstanding.”“That’s all right,” she said quickly. “Family business comes first. I’ll explain to our guests. Please don’t argue with Elena over this.”“Mom, nothing happened to the DeLucas.”She turned to me.“The engagement was fake.”Her eyes moved from me to the flowers and place cards being carried out of the ballroom.“This was my fault,” Luca said. “I allowed them to bet on whether Elena would beli

I entered the conference room at eight the next morning.Dr. Keller introduced me briefly and said nothing about why I had changed my mind at the last minute. She assigned me a set of patient data that the team had not finished analyzing.“Two researchers were originally responsible for this section, and we have six weeks left,” she said. “If you need the assignment adjusted, tell me today.”“I can finish it.”After the meeting, I remained in the laboratory until evening. I had been away from the project for three months, yet much of the data still felt familiar. I had helped design the initial research plan before choosing to remain in New York.By five o’clock, I had identified the first connection the previous analysis might have missed.Dr. Keller reviewed my results and asked me to present them at the next morning’s team meeting. Before leaving, she reminded me that the project did not require anyone to prove their ability by working all night.I packed my laptop and left the rese

Three days after Luca returned to New York, the first batch of samples arrived from the partner hospitals.Dr. Keller divided the team into two groups. One group repeated the original analysis without seeing my report, while I led the second group in examining the twelve cases I had identified.If both groups found the same pattern, we would have enough evidence to revise the project.For the next four days, I rarely left the research center before midnight.Luca sent one message every morning, asking whether I had eaten, slept, and secured the apartment.I replied only that I was safe and did not need additional guards.He never mentioned the emerald ring.On Friday evening, one of the researchers brought me the first set of results.“They do not match,” Anna said. “The abnormal marker appears in only seven of the twelve samples.”I checked the report twice. Five failed cases could make the association too weak to justify changing the study.Dr. Keller entered the laboratory while I w

I accepted the international trial before my flight left New York.Dr. Keller read my email from the seat across the aisle and gave me a brief nod.“You understand that this will add at least another year to your work in Zurich.”“I understand.”“You will also be responsible for coordinating six hospitals.”“I know.”She closed her laptop.“Then welcome to the next stage.”The trial began two months later.Under the approved trial protocol, our screening method identified patients likely to develop the abnormal response before they received the newer medication batch. Those patients entered an alternative treatment arm and were monitored separately.For the first several months, I expected something to go wrong. Each hospital followed a different routine, one laboratory submitted incomplete records, and a supplier delayed the materials required for testing. I spent long evenings reviewing reports and early mornings speaking with teams in three time zones.Every hour belonged to work I