Chapter 3 - The Ghost of St. Cecilia’s

The black bulletproof Mercedes sped through the rain-soaked streets of the city, its headlights cutting through the heavy fog like twin blades. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Leo sat in the back seat, the micro-cassettes playing quietly through a portable player he had salvaged from the study.
The tinny voice of the late head housekeeper echoed in the confined space:
"...She brought the child in through the service elevator on the third of November. A healthy boy. But it wasn't her son. She paid off the obstetrics director to falsify the birth registry. If Mr. Romano finds out, we're all dead..."
Leo clicked the player off. His knuckles were white as he gripped his cane.
Beside him, Victor checked the magazine of his sidearm. "The hospital is surrounded, Leo. Our men secured the administrative wing ten minutes ago. But the medical director, Dr. Hayes, has already locked himself inside the main records vault."
"He won't be inside for long," Leo replied coldly.
Minutes later, the car screeched to a halt beneath the imposing concrete portico of St. Cecilia’s Private Maternity Wing. Rain poured down in sheets, bouncing off the sleek black vehicles of the Romano security detail.
Leo strode through the sliding glass doors, his long black coat trailing behind him like the wings of a dark angel. Nurses and on-duty physicians scrambled out of his way, recognizing the terrifying aura of the city's most powerful man.
They reached the basement records archive—a massive, climate-controlled vault containing decades of birth registries and medical histories.
Victor didn't bother knocking. He raised his boot and kicked the reinforced steel door. With a deafening crash, the electronic lock sparked, and the heavy door swung wide open.
Inside, Dr. Hayes stood by a paper shredder, frantically feeding stacks of files into the grinding teeth of the machine. White strips of confidential medical histories piled up in the bin below.
"Stop," Leo commanded.
Dr. Hayes froze, his hands hovering over the shredder. He slowly turned around, sweat beading on his forehead. "Mr... Mr. Romano. This is a restricted medical archive. You have no legal right—"
Victor closed the distance in two strides, grabbing the doctor by the lapels of his white coat and slamming him against the steel filing cabinets.
"Where is the original birth log for November third?" Victor demanded, pressing the barrel of his silenced pistol gently against the doctor's ribs.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about!" Hayes gasped, his eyes darting toward the exit.
Leo walked up slowly, picked up a partially shredded file from the top of the bin, and pieced together a few legible lines. It listed the name Elena Vance, followed by an infant transfer code matching the exact serial number on the bracelet Willow had found in the attic.
"Dr. Hayes," Leo said softly, his voice dangerously low. "My wife tried to steal my legacy, murdered a doctor to cover her tracks, and replaced my true heir with an impostor. You can either tell me where Elena Vance's real child was taken, or you can join Dr. Marcus at the bottom of the bay."
Hayes broke. His knees buckled under him, and Victor caught him by the collar.
"Orphanage..." Hayes sobbed, tears mixing with sweat. "The St. Jude Sanctuary across town. Isabella... she paid a nurse to drop the baby off there four years ago. She wanted the child hidden where no one would ever look!"
May you like
Leo stared at the doctor for a long, agonizing moment. Then he handed the partial file to Victor.
"Secure him," Leo ordered. "We're going to St. Jude."