The warning lingered even hours later when Dr. Halden, Milo’s private physician, arrived for his weekly assessment. Adriana, desperate for the truth, hid in the hallway closet. Through the crack, she watched Dr. Halden and Gareth stand over Milo on the changing table. Their conversation chilled her blood.
“Same dosage?” Dr. Halden murmured.
“Higher,” Gareth replied casually. “Rafael’s asking questions again. I need the decline noticeable.”
Dr. Halden wavered. Gareth cut him off sharply. “You’re being paid well to stay quiet. Do your job.”
Adriana watched the syringe fill with a clear liquid. She watched the doctor inject it into Milo’s tender skin while the boy whimpered softly. She wanted to scream. She wanted to burst through the door. But fear pinned her still. When they left the room, she rushed to Milo, gathering him into her arms. His breaths came shallow. His tiny fingers trembled. She held him close and whispered that she would protect him.
Hours later, she gathered her courage and tried to tell Rafael. He was in his office, buried behind glowing screens and endless financial calls. He listened only long enough to dismiss her gently. He said the doctors were doing all they could. He said she didn’t understand the situation. She saw the truth though. He was drowning in grief after losing his wife, Helena, in the accident last year. He could barely look at Milo because it hurt too much.
That night, Adriana returned to Milo’s room one last time before leaving. The marks. The cold. The weakening child. Everything pointed to something deliberate. And she knew she could not stay silent. She searched Rafael’s office for any clue that might connect the people hurting Milo. In a drawer she found a set of legal documents. Among them a guardianship clause that froze her blood. If anything happened to Rafael, ownership of Donnelly Innovations and custody of Milo would pass directly to Gareth.
