Chapter 3 - Shadows Over Mercy Grace
By four o'clock in the morning, Suite 404 had been transformed into an impenetrable fortress. Alessandro’s personal physician—a trusted, older Italian doctor named Dr. Vane—had arrived to take over under Lauren’s direct supervision. Matteo was stabilized, sleeping soundly in a fresh, certified clean incubator, his oxygen levels climbing steadily.
Lauren sat on a small plastic chair in the corner of the room, sipping a cup of lukewarm, bitter coffee. Her shift had technically ended at 3:00 AM, but she knew she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Outside the door, six men in dark suits stood guard.
The door clicked open, and Alessandro walked in. He had discarded his blood-stained jacket and rolled up his crisp white shirt sleeves. He handed her a hot, fresh pastry wrapped in foil and a mug of real coffee from a local bakery.
"You haven't eaten," he said simply, sitting on the adjacent chair.
"Thank you," Lauren murmured, taking the coffee. "How is your sister?"
"Dr. Vane says her vitals are improving. She’ll wake up by afternoon." Alessandro glanced at his sleeping nephew, a rare, soft expression relaxing his harsh features. "The men who brought that defective equipment... Dr. Hale and his team. My people looked into them while you were saving my nephew."
Lauren paused, a pastry halfway to her mouth. "What did you find?"
"It wasn't an accident, Lauren," Alessandro said, his tone dropping into dangerous territory. "The medical supply company that routed those recalled ventilator lines to Mercy Grace is a dummy corporation registered in Delaware. It’s owned by the Moretti family."
Lauren felt a chill run down her spine. Even a broke night nurse knew the name Moretti. They were the Cassanos' fierce rivals for control of the Chicago waterfront and transport networks.
"They didn't just want to ruin Hale's reputation," Alessandro continued, his eyes darkening. "They wanted Matteo dead before he took his first breath. They wanted to break Isabella, and through her, break me. And those high-priced doctors were either too foolish to notice, or bribed to turn a blind eye."
"That’s monsterous," Lauren whispered. "He's just a baby."
"Yes," Alessandro agreed. "And you stepped between a monster and a child. Do you know what that makes you in my world, Lauren?"
"Unemployed?" she joked dryly, trying to lighten the heavy air. "Dr. Hale will definitely have my nursing license revoked by morning for practicing outside my scope."
Alessandro let out a low, dark laugh—the first real sound of amusement he’d uttered in weeks. "Let him try. By noon today, Dr. Hale will no longer own his medical license, his private clinic, or his freedom. As for you..." He pulled a thick, black leather folder from his arm and laid it on her lap.
Lauren opened it. Inside were receipts paid in full for her father’s lingering medical debts, a canceled notice from her landlord, and a cashier's check made out to her name for two hundred thousand dollars.
Lauren’s eyes widened, and she immediately pushed the folder back toward him. "No. No, Mr. Cassano. I can't take this. I did my job. I saved a patient."
"You saved my family," Alessandro said firmly, pushing the folder back into her hands. "In my world, we pay our debts. This isn't charity, Lauren. It’s respect. Besides, you’re going to need the money. You aren't working the night shift at Mercy Grace anymore."
May you like
"I'm not?"
"No," Alessandro said, standing up and looking down at her with an intensity that made her blood run hot. "As of this morning, you are the chief personal medical specialist for Matteo Cassano. And as long as you are under my roof, no one—not Hale, not the Morettis, and not the law—will ever touch you."
