Chapter 9 - The Man Inside Moretti Logistics
Adrien watched the footage again.
Sofia Moretti walked beside Marco without restraint.
No weapon visible.
No struggle.
She had opened the door herself.
“Maybe she’s being forced,” Elena said.
Adrien shook his head.
“She knew the access code.”
Daniel leaned against the table.
“Or Marco works for her.”
Nobody liked that possibility.
Isabel was brought in.
She watched the video.
“That’s Sofia.”
“When did you last see her?” Adrien asked.
“Seven years ago.”
“You told me she was hiding.”
“She was.”
“From whom?”
“Everyone.”
Adrien’s patience frayed.
“Stop giving me pieces.”
Isabel met his anger calmly.
“Sofia believed anyone could be compromised. Including Gabriel. Including me.”
“Including her own son?”
“Yes.”
That hurt.
Elena saw it.
Sofia had survived by trusting no one.
Adrien had survived by controlling everyone.
Different wounds.
Same inheritance.
Bell traced Marco’s escape vehicle to an old Moretti Logistics warehouse.
Police surrounded it.
Adrien did not go.
That decision cost him visibly.
He stayed with Elena and Luca.
Hours later, Bell called.
The warehouse was empty.
But they found Gabriel.
Alive.
Tied to a chair.
Beaten.
He had been missing for six months.
At the hospital, Gabriel asked for Adrien.
Elena went too.
Gabriel looked older than the photographs.
He stared at Luca.
“So that’s why they moved.”
“Who?” Adrien asked.
“The people behind MRL.”
“Marco?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“Marco was investigating them.”
Adrien froze.
“The money?”
“Planted.”
“Then why did he escape?”
“To follow Sofia.”
“Why?”
“Because Sofia found the person running the network.”
Adrien leaned closer.
“Who?”
Gabriel looked at Elena.
“Someone connected to the Cruz family.”
Elena stiffened.
“My father?”
“No.”
“Isabel?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Gabriel’s eyes closed.
“Someone you think is dead.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
There were too many dead people in this story who refused to remain dead.
Gabriel explained that MRL-27B had originally been created by Vittorio Moretti and a physician named Dr. Elias Voss.
Voss managed the medical side.
Stolen samples.
Records.
Illegal procedures.
When Sofia shut the program down, Voss vanished.
His death was reported two years later.
No body was recovered.
“What does he have to do with my family?” Elena asked.
Gabriel hesitated.
“Voss was your mother’s brother.”
Elena stared.
“My uncle?”
“Yes.”
Isabel had never mentioned a brother.
Gabriel continued.
“Elias believed bloodlines could be engineered. Vittorio believed they could be monetized.”
Adrien’s face twisted with disgust.
“Daniel was an experiment.”
“Yes.”
Daniel, standing near the door, heard it.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
“I was a crime,” Daniel said. “Not an experiment.”
Gabriel lowered his eyes.
“You’re right.”
The correction mattered.
Adrien looked at Daniel with something like pride.
Bell entered.
“We found Marco.”
“Alive?” Adrien asked.
“Yes. And Sofia is with him.”
“Where?”
“Moretti Logistics headquarters.”
Adrien stood.
Bell stopped him.
“They asked for you.”
“Then I’m going.”
Elena said, “We’re going.”
“No.”
She stared.
Adrien exhaled.
“Sorry.”
Daniel almost smiled.
Adrien tried again.
“I would prefer that you stay somewhere secure with Luca.”
“That’s better.”
“And?”
“I’m still going.”
Bell arranged protection.
Luca remained with Isabel under hospital security.
At Moretti Logistics, the executive floor was empty.
Marco stood outside Adrien’s office.
He looked exhausted.
“You’re difficult to arrest,” Adrien said.
“You’re difficult to work for.”
“Where’s my mother?”
Marco opened the door.
Sofia stood by the window.
Adrien stopped.
Eleven years disappeared from his face.
“Mom?”
Sofia turned.
She looked older.
But unmistakably alive.
Adrien did not move.
Neither did she.
Then Sofia crossed the room and touched his face.
“My boy.”
Adrien broke.
He pulled her into his arms.
Elena turned away, giving him the moment.
When they separated, anger returned.
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“No. You chose to.”
Sofia accepted the blow.
“Yes.”
“Why come back now?”
“Because Elias knows about Luca.”
Elena stepped forward.
“What does he want?”
Sofia looked at her.
“Not the baby.”
Relief lasted less than a second.
“He wants Daniel.”
Daniel stiffened.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel is evidence.”
“Of what?”
Sofia reached into a safe and removed a sealed file.
“The original procedure.”
Adrien opened it.
There were signatures.
Vittorio Moretti.
Elias Voss.
And one more.
Miguel Cruz.
Elena stared.
“My father signed it?”
Sofia nodded.
“He sold access to your mother’s fertility records.”
Elena’s knees weakened.
Adrien caught her only after she reached toward him.
Sofia said, “Miguel has been lying to all of you.”
Adrien’s phone vibrated.
A live video arrived.
Miguel sat tied to a chair.
Behind him stood a masked man.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Bring Daniel to St. Catherine’s.”
Daniel stepped closer.
The masked man removed his mask.
Elena recognized him from an old family photograph.
Her mother’s brother.
Elias Voss smiled into the camera.
May you like
Then he placed a hand on Miguel’s shoulder.
“Or Elena finally learns what her father did the night Daniel was born.”
