Chapter 2: The Secret Beneath the Garden
Luca did not sleep that night.
The doctors had spent twelve years explaining why his body had failed him. They had shown him scans, charts, and endless pages of medical reports. They had used words like irreversible damage and permanent paralysis until those words became part of his identity.
But nobody had ever explained the one thing that haunted him most.
Why had his brakes failed on a clear road?
Why had someone removed a piece of his car afterward?
And why was that same symbol now carved into the fence of his own estate?
At 4:17 in the morning, Luca was still sitting in his study, staring at the old accident report displayed on his computer screen.
The official conclusion remained unchanged.
Mechanical failure.
No evidence of sabotage.
No suspect.
No crime.
A closed case.
But Luca had built an empire by understanding one simple rule:
People could lie.
Numbers could be manipulated.
Documents could disappear.
But mistakes always left traces.
A quiet knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Luca?""
He looked toward the door.
It was Elena's mother.
Sofia Morales stood there holding a small metal box against her chest. She looked exhausted, like she had spent the entire night fighting with herself about whether she should come.
"How did you get in?"" Luca asked.
"The night guard let me through.""
"Why?""
Sofia looked down.
"Because I told him it was about your life.""
The words hung in the room.
Luca gestured toward the chair across from him.
"Sit.""
She hesitated before taking it.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Sofia had worked in his house for weeks, but Luca realized he knew almost nothing about her. He had spent years surrounded by people and somehow learned very little about them.
"My daughter shouldn't have found that," Sofia finally said.
"What exactly did she find?""
Sofia placed the metal box on the desk.
"I don't know.""
Luca frowned.
"You called me and said she found a piece of the car.""
"She did.""
"Then where is it?""
Sofia opened the box.
Inside was a small piece of twisted metal wrapped in cloth.
Luca stared at it.
Even after twelve years, he recognized it.
Not the shape.
The material.
The strange silver alloy used in the braking system of his custom vehicle.
His fingers tightened against the armrest of his wheelchair.
"Where did she find this?""
"In the garden.""
"Show me.""
Sofia looked surprised.
"Now?""
"Yes.""
"It's almost five in the morning.""
"I know.""
"Mr. Costello—"
"Luca.""
She stopped.
He rarely corrected people.
"Call me Luca.""
Sofia nodded slowly.
"Then Luca... you don't understand what you're walking into.""
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"That has been my life for twelve years.""
She looked at him carefully.
"What happened to you changed many people.""
"What does that mean?""
Sofia looked away.
"Some people lost money.""
"Who?""
She didn't answer.
That was the answer.
Luca pushed toward the door.
"Sofia.""
She looked back.
"How long have you known?""
Her expression changed.
"Known what?""
"That my accident wasn't an accident.""
Silence.
The kind of silence that confirmed everything.
Luca stopped moving.
"How long?""
Sofia swallowed.
"Since before I worked here.""
The room felt smaller.
"Then why did you come into my house?""
Sofia's eyes filled with fear.
"Because I needed to get close enough to find the truth.""
Luca stared at her.
"You used my household to investigate me?""
"No.""
Her voice cracked.
"I came here because I thought you were the only person who could stop what happened.""
"Stop what?""
Sofia looked toward the window.
"Something that started twelve years ago.""
Before Luca could ask another question, a small voice came from the hallway.
"Mom?""
Both of them turned.
Elena stood there wearing pink pajamas and holding a stuffed rabbit.
She looked between them.
"I knew you would tell him.""
Sofia immediately stood.
"Elena, you shouldn't be awake.""
"You were scared.""
"I'm not scared.""
Elena tilted her head.
"You're doing the thing you do when you're scared.""
Sofia sighed.
"What thing?""
"You clean things that are already clean.""
For a second, Luca almost smiled.
Then he noticed something.
The child wasn't joking.
She had been watching.
Studying.
Remembering.
Like her mother.
"Elena," Luca said gently, "what exactly did you find in the garden?""
The girl walked into the room.
"The metal piece.""
"Where?""
"Near the old tree.""
"What old tree?""
"The one nobody goes near.""
Luca exchanged a glance with Sofia.
"Why does nobody go near it?""
Elena shrugged.
"Because Mr. Victor told everyone not to.""
The name landed heavily.
Victor.
Again.
Luca turned toward the hallway.
"Where is he?""
Sofia's face went pale.
"Who?""
"Victor.""
"He's probably doing his morning rounds.""
Luca grabbed his phone and called.
The line rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
That had never happened before.
Victor Bellini answered immediately, no matter the hour.
A man like Victor did not ignore calls.
Unless he didn't want to be found.
"Get Elena ready," Luca said.
Sofia looked confused.
"For what?""
"We're going outside.""
The garden was covered in fog when they reached the old tree.
Luca followed behind Sofia and Elena as they walked across the grass.
The place felt different in the morning.
During the day, the garden looked peaceful.
Now it looked abandoned.
The old tree stood near the edge of the property, its branches twisting over the fence.
Elena pointed.
"There.""
Luca moved closer.
The ground beneath the tree looked disturbed.
Fresh soil.
Someone had dug recently.
Sofia looked at him.
"I didn't touch anything.""
"Good.""
Luca reached down as far as he could from his chair and brushed away some dirt.
Something metallic appeared.
Not another piece of the car.
Something else.
A small black container.
Locked.
His heart began beating faster.
He knew that container.
Not because he had seen it before.
Because he had seen one exactly like it.
On the night of the crash.
Inside his car.
Before everything went dark.
"Luca?""
Sofia's voice pulled him back.
"What is it?""
He stared at the container.
"I don't know.""
But he did.
Somewhere deep inside, he knew.
This was not just evidence.
It was a message.
A message someone had hidden for twelve years.
A sound came from behind them.
A branch breaking.
Luca turned sharply.
Standing near the hedge was Victor.
His security chief looked older than yesterday.
More tired.
More dangerous.
"What are you doing here?"" Luca asked.
Victor's eyes moved from Luca to the container.
And for the first time in fifteen years, Luca saw panic on his face.
"Where did you find that?""
The question was not what Luca expected.
Not What is that?
Not Why are you digging?
Victor already knew.
Luca's voice became cold.
"Answer me.""
Victor stepped forward.
"You need to give me that box.""
"No.""
"Sir, listen to me.""
"No.""
Victor looked toward Elena.
Then toward Sofia.
His expression changed.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with.""
Luca felt a chill.
"Then explain it.""
Victor said nothing.
"Tell me who put it there.""
Still nothing.
"Tell me why my accident is connected to this.""
Victor looked at him.
And then he said something Luca never expected to hear.
"I was trying to protect you.""
Luca laughed once.
A sharp, humorless sound.
"By hiding evidence?""
"I was trying to keep you alive.""
"Who were you protecting me from?""
Victor opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
Because a gunshot echoed across the garden.
The bullet struck the tree inches from Luca's head.
Sofia screamed.
Elena froze.
Victor immediately moved, pushing Luca's wheelchair behind the stone wall.
"Everyone down!""
Luca stared at him.
Not because of the gunfire.
Because Victor's first instinct had been to protect him.
The way a loyal man would.
The way a guilty man wouldn't.
Another shot rang out.
Victor looked toward the hedge.
"We need to move.""
Luca grabbed his arm.
"No.""
Victor looked back.
For the first time, there was desperation in his eyes.
"Luca.""
"Who is shooting at us?""
Victor hesitated.
Then whispered:
"The person who made sure you never walked again.""
A third shot exploded through the morning air.
And from beyond the hedge, a voice called out.
A voice Luca recognized.
A voice he had not heard in twelve years.
"Hello, Luca.""
May you like
His blood went cold.
Because the voice belonged to the one person who was supposed to be dead.
