PART 3 — THE MAN IN THE WHITE COAT
The neonatal intensive care unit was three floors below the maternity ward.
It was supposed to be the safest place in the entire hospital.
Three security doors.
Two electronic checkpoints.
A biometric lock.
And, outside the entrance, four of Lorenzo De Luca's men.
No one entered without being searched.
No one left without Lorenzo knowing.
At least...
That was what everyone believed.
* * *
The elevator doors opened at 3:42 a.m.
A man in a white doctor's coat stepped out.
He was pushing a small medical cart.
His surgical mask covered half his face.
A blue ID badge hung from his chest.
DR. MATTEO RINALDI — NEONATAL SURGERY
One of Lorenzo's guards immediately stepped forward.
"Stop."
The doctor stopped.
"I'm taking the newborns to another unit."
"Which newborns?"
The doctor looked annoyed.
"The twins from Operating Room Three."
The guard's expression changed.
"Who authorized that?"
The doctor pulled out a tablet.
"Dr. Ferraro."
The guard stared at the screen.
A digital authorization was displayed.
Everything looked legitimate.
The doctor's name.
The hospital seal.
The authorization code.
Even the attending physician's signature.
The guard stepped aside.
"Go ahead."
The doctor nodded.
"Thank you."
He pushed the cart toward the secured doors.
Nobody noticed his left hand was trembling.
Nobody noticed that he wasn't wearing the hospital's standard identification bracelet.
And nobody noticed one more thing.
His shoes were completely dry.
Despite the storm outside.
* * *
Inside the NICU...
The first baby was lying beneath a warming lamp.
A tiny boy.
His chest rose and fell weakly.
A monitor beside him beeped steadily.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The doctor entered.
A nurse looked up.
"Doctor Rinaldi?"
He nodded.
"How is Baby A?"
"Stable for now."
"And Baby B?"
The nurse pointed toward the second incubator.
The little girl was surrounded by tubes.
Her heartbeat was dangerously unstable.
"She's worse."
The doctor's eyes moved toward her.
For one second...
Something dark appeared in his expression.
Then it disappeared.
"Move them."
The nurse frowned.
"Both?"
"Yes."
"But Dr. Ferraro said—"
"I have the authorization."
He showed her the tablet.
The nurse hesitated.
"Why are they being moved?"
The doctor leaned closer.
"Because if you keep asking questions, you may delay treatment."
The nurse immediately stepped away.
"Of course."
She began preparing the first baby.
The doctor watched.
Waiting.
Waiting...
Until the nurse turned her back.
His hand slowly disappeared beneath his coat.
He pulled out a small syringe.
His eyes moved toward the baby girl.
Then—
A voice came from behind him.
"What are you doing?"
The doctor froze.
He turned around.
A young nurse stood in the doorway.
She was staring directly at the syringe in his hand.
The doctor smiled.
"Medication."
"For what?"
"Cardiac instability."
"That's not the medication protocol."
The doctor's smile vanished.
The nurse stepped closer.
"Let me see the label."
The doctor didn't move.
"Get back to work."
"Doctor..."
"NOW."
The nurse flinched.
But something about his voice made her suspicious.
She reached for the phone attached to her belt.
The doctor's expression changed.
He moved faster than she expected.
His hand clamped over her mouth.
The phone fell onto the floor.
The nurse struggled.
Her eyes widened with terror.
The doctor whispered into her ear.
"You're going to forget you saw me."
Then—
The lights went out.
* * *
The entire NICU plunged into darkness.
The monitors switched to emergency power.
Red lights began flashing.
The nurse screamed beneath his hand.
And somewhere three floors above...
Lorenzo's phone rang.
He answered instantly.
"What?"
His security chief spoke quickly.
"Boss, we've lost power in the neonatal unit."
"Backup?"
"Already activated."
"How long?"
"Twenty seconds."
Lorenzo's eyes narrowed.
"Twenty seconds is enough to kill someone."
He turned toward his men.
"GET DOWN THERE."
Twenty armed men moved simultaneously.
Lorenzo followed.
* * *
Inside the NICU...
Emergency lights flickered back on.
The young nurse was lying on the floor.
Unconscious.
The mysterious doctor was gone.
So was the baby girl.
Lorenzo reached the unit less than thirty seconds later.
The first thing he saw was the empty incubator.
He stopped.
His face changed.
"Where is my daughter?"
Nobody answered.
A nurse began crying.
"She was here..."
Lorenzo walked toward her.
"Where is my daughter?"
"I—I don't know."
He looked at the second incubator.
The boy was still there.
Alive.
But his sister was gone.
Lorenzo's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Lock the hospital."
His security chief stared at him.
"Boss—"
"LOCK. IT. DOWN."
Every exit was sealed.
Elevators stopped.
Security shutters dropped.
Hospital staff were ordered to remain where they were.
Nobody entered.
Nobody left.
Lorenzo looked at the security cameras.
"Show me the footage."
The security chief connected his tablet.
"Here."
The footage appeared.
Lorenzo watched the hallway.
The doctor entered.
Pushed the cart.
Entered the NICU.
Then the lights went out.
Twenty seconds later...
He came out.
Pushing an empty cart.
Lorenzo's eyes became cold.
"Zoom in."
The footage enlarged.
The doctor's face remained mostly covered.
Lorenzo stared at the ID badge.
"Rinaldi."
His security chief nodded.
"Dr. Matteo Rinaldi."
"Find him."
"We already did."
Lorenzo turned.
"What?"
"He doesn't exist."
Silence.
The security chief continued.
"The hospital has no doctor by that name."
Lorenzo's jaw tightened.
"Then whose ID was he wearing?"
"We're checking."
"Check faster."
* * *
Then—
A scream came from the maternity ward.
"Lorenzo!"
He spun around.
A nurse was running toward him.
"Mrs. Rossi woke up!"
For one second, Lorenzo forgot everything.
Isabella.
He ran.
* * *
Isabella's eyes opened slowly.
Her body felt like it had been crushed.
Her throat was dry.
Her vision blurred.
But the first thing she whispered was—
"My babies."
Lorenzo entered the room.
She saw him.
Her face immediately changed.
"Where are they?"
Lorenzo didn't answer.
Isabella's breathing became faster.
"Lorenzo..."
"Your son is alive."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"And my daughter?"
He stared at her.
That was all the answer she needed.
Isabella's face went white.
"No."
"Isabella—"
"No!"
She tried to sit up.
The monitors screamed.
"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?"
Lorenzo grabbed her shoulders.
"Listen to me."
"Where is she?"
"Someone took her."
Isabella stopped breathing.
For several seconds...
She simply stared at him.
Then something changed in her expression.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Lorenzo noticed.
"You know who took her."
Isabella looked away.
"Isabella."
"No."
"You know him."
"No."
"Who was he?"
She started crying.
Lorenzo's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Who was the man?"
Isabella covered her face.
"I warned you."
"About what?"
"I told you they would come."
"Who?"
She lowered her hands.
And whispered—
"The Bellini family."
Lorenzo froze.
"Marco?"
Isabella shook her head.
"Marco isn't the one you should be afraid of."
Lorenzo stepped closer.
"Then who?"
Isabella looked directly into his eyes.
"His son."
Lorenzo's expression changed.
"Marco doesn't have a son."
Isabella's lips trembled.
"That's what he wants everyone to believe."
Silence.
Lorenzo stared at her.
Then she said the words that made his blood run cold.
"His son is the reason I left you."
* * *
Lorenzo didn't move.
"What son?"
Isabella looked toward the window.
"He was supposed to be dead."
"Who?"
She swallowed.
"Adrian Bellini."
Lorenzo's eyes narrowed.
"Adrian died twelve years ago."
"No."
Isabella shook her head.
"Adrian disappeared twelve years ago."
She looked back at Lorenzo.
"And six months ago..."
Her voice broke.
"...he came back."
Lorenzo's entire body went cold.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because the first thing he told me was..."
She stopped.
"Tell me."
Isabella stared at him through tears.
"He said if I told you the truth..."
"...he would kill our children."
Lorenzo's fists tightened.
"What truth?"
Isabella hesitated.
Then—
A nurse suddenly burst into the room.
"Mr. De Luca!"
Lorenzo turned.
"What?"
"We found something."
The nurse was holding a small plastic evidence bag.
Inside...
Was a tiny hospital bracelet.
Lorenzo recognized it immediately.
His daughter's.
The nurse's hands were shaking.
"We found this in the parking garage."
Lorenzo took it.
His eyes dropped to the name printed on the bracelet.
BABY GIRL — ROSSI
But underneath it...
Someone had written another name in black ink.
Lorenzo stared.
His face slowly lost all color.
Because the name wasn't Isabella's.
It wasn't Lorenzo's.
And it wasn't De Luca.
It read:
ADRIAN BELLINI.
Isabella saw it.
And screamed.
"NO!"
Lorenzo looked at her.
"What the hell does that mean?"
Isabella couldn't answer.
She was crying too hard.
Then Lorenzo's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then came a baby's cry.
A tiny, frightened cry.
Lorenzo's blood froze.
"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?"
A man's voice finally answered.
"She's exactly where she belongs."
Lorenzo's eyes became murderous.
"Adrian."
A soft laugh came through the phone.
"Hello, Lorenzo."
Lorenzo's entire security team went silent.
The voice continued.
"You spent six months searching for Isabella."
A pause.
"But you never asked yourself..."
"...why she was so desperate to hide the twins from you."
Lorenzo gripped the phone.
"If you touch my daughter—"
"She's not your daughter."
Silence.
Lorenzo's face went completely still.
The voice whispered:
"Ask Isabella who the real father of the twins is."
The call ended.
Lorenzo slowly turned toward the bed.
Isabella was sobbing.
And for the first time...
She didn't deny it.
To be continued...
