This one showed Daniel standing outside the hospital with a nurse.
"Your brother has a difficult future," Matteo said. "You should be careful about making decisions that affect it."
After that, the threats became routine.
He would summon her to his office.
He would demand information.
When she refused, he would find small reasons to punish her.
A missing key.
A broken glass.
A complaint about her uniform.
Sometimes he grabbed her wrist.
Sometimes he pushed her against the wall.
He never left visible injuries where the other staff could easily notice them.
Until tonight.
Tonight, he had demanded that she steal a sealed envelope from Alessandro's private study.
Elena had refused.
Matteo had slapped her.
She dropped the tray she was carrying.
A porcelain plate shattered.
One of the pieces cut her hand.
And now Alessandro had seen everything.
Elena pressed the photograph against her chest.
She had survived four months by remaining invisible.
She had no idea how to survive being noticed.
***
At seven the following morning, Alessandro was already in his private office.
The room occupied the western side of the mansion. Dark oak shelves covered the walls. An antique clock stood above the fireplace, and a large painting of his grandfather hung behind his desk.
Giovanni entered carrying a folder.
"Something interesting?"
"Several things."
"Start with the most important."
Giovanni placed the folder on the desk.
"Elena's employment records are clean. Her references check out. No previous complaints. She has not been involved in any disciplinary incidents."
"And the injuries?"
"Two staff members noticed bruising last month. Neither reported it."
"Why?"
"They were afraid of Matteo."
Alessandro looked up.
"Continue."
"One of the kitchen assistants says Matteo regularly summoned Elena to his office. He also instructed the security staff not to enter the east corridor when he was working."
"Who authorized that?"
"Matteo."
Alessandro closed the folder.
"Who is paying Elena's brother's medical expenses?"
Giovanni placed another document on the desk.
"An account associated with a private foundation. The payments began six weeks ago."
"Whose foundation?"
"Matteo's."
For several seconds, Alessandro said nothing.
Then he opened the document again.
The payments were substantial.
Hospital fees.
Specialist consultations.
Medication.
Private transportation.
Everything Daniel needed.
A man who had been threatening Elena was also paying for her brother's treatment.
It was a carefully constructed trap.
"Does she know?"
"She knows someone has been covering the expenses. She doesn't know where the money comes from."
Alessandro looked toward the window.
"Find out whether the hospital has been contacted by anyone else."
Giovanni nodded.
"There is another matter."
"What?"
"Three financial transfers from one of our shipping companies were approved using your authorization."
Alessandro's expression changed.
"When?"
"Over the last two months."
"I didn't approve them."
"I know."
"How much?"
"Approximately four million euros."
The room became very still.
"Where did the money go?"
"Through two shell companies. One is registered in Malta. The other is connected to a private investment group in Switzerland."
"Who controls them?"
Giovanni hesitated.
"We're still tracing the ownership."
Alessandro looked at the folder.
"Show me the signatures."
Giovanni opened a document.
The signature at the bottom was unmistakable.
It was Alessandro's.
But the signature was false.
Someone had copied it.
Someone inside the organization.
Someone with access to his private records.
And someone had been using Elena to obtain additional information.
Alessandro leaned back.
"Matteo."
Giovanni did not answer.
He did not need to.
***
At noon, Alessandro found Elena in the garden.
She was arranging white roses in a stone fountain near the greenhouse.
The morning sun illuminated the edges of her hair. Her uniform had been replaced with a clean one, and her wrist was wrapped in a fresh bandage.
She noticed him approaching and immediately stood.
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Sit down."
She remained standing.
Alessandro looked at the chair beside the fountain.
"That wasn't a suggestion."
She sat carefully.
He remained on his feet.
"Your brother is named Daniel Rossi."
Elena's hands tightened around each other.
"Yes."
"He is nineteen."
"Yes."
"He's receiving treatment at San Marco Hospital."
She looked at him.
"Why are you asking?"
"Because someone has been paying his medical expenses."
Her face changed.
"Who?"
"Matteo."
Elena stared at him.
For a moment, she appeared unable to understand the words.
"No."
"Yes."
"No. That's impossible."
Alessandro placed a document on the small stone table.
She looked at the numbers.
The dates.
The name of the foundation.
Her lips parted.
"Why would he do that?"
"That's what I want to know."
Elena shook her head.
"He told me the money came from a charitable organization."
"Did he ask you to do anything in return?"
She said nothing.
Alessandro waited.
"Elena."
"He wanted documents."
"What documents?"
"Things from your office."
"What things?"
"I don't know everything."
"Tell me what you do know."
She looked toward the greenhouse.
"I didn't give him anything."
"I didn't ask whether you did."
"He said they were only financial reports. He said he needed them because he was trying to help you."
Alessandro's expression remained controlled.
"Did you believe him?"
"No."
"Then why didn't you come to me?"
Her eyes filled.
"Because he showed me photographs of Daniel."
Alessandro said nothing.
"He knew which hospital he was in. He knew what treatment he needed. He knew when his appointments were scheduled. He said he could make everything easier for us."
"Did he threaten your brother?"
"He didn't have to say it directly."
Alessandro looked at the bandage around her wrist.
"Did he hurt you?"
Elena closed her eyes.