CHAPTER 6: THE GHOST OF CHICAGO
CHAPTER 6: THE GHOST OF CHICAGO
Nobody spoke for nearly ten seconds.
Finally, Sebastian broke the silence.
"Explain."
Vincent exhaled heavily.
"After the bombing, Ricci's people infiltrated the hospital."
"They planned to finish the job."
"Your injuries were survivable."
"But if you recovered, you would inherit everything."
"So they paid surgeons."
"They paid politicians."
"They paid anyone necessary."
Gabriel frowned.
"The implant."
Vincent nodded.
"It wasn't designed to paralyze you."
"What?"
"It was designed to monitor nerve activity."
Sebastian stared.
The explanation sounded insane.
Yet somehow worse.
"The original surgeons intentionally misdiagnosed your condition."
"They convinced everyone recovery was impossible."
"Then they buried the evidence."
Clare's words suddenly echoed in Sebastian's mind.
Someone lied.
For twenty years.
Someone lied.
Vincent continued.
"I discovered the conspiracy too late."
"So I took control."
"You controlled me."
"To keep you alive."
Sebastian's anger burned hotter.
"By stealing my life?"
"By locking me in a chair?"
Vincent's voice rose for the first time.
"I kept you breathing!"
The room shook with emotion.
"If I hadn't taken over, Ricci would have killed you before your twenty-third birthday!"
Silence followed.
A terrible silence.
Because Sebastian could see something in his uncle's eyes.
Regret.
Real regret.
Then Gabriel's phone suddenly rang.
Everyone turned.
Gabriel answered.
His expression changed instantly.
"What happened?"
The voice on the other end was panicked.
"Boss—we have a problem."
"What problem?"
"It's Clare."
Sebastian's blood froze.
"What about Clare?"
"They took her."
The room exploded.
Gabriel put the call on speaker.
A terrified security officer spoke rapidly.
"There was an attack at the estate."
"Four men dead."
"The safe house breached."
"Oliver is safe."
"But Clare is gone."
Sebastian's heart slammed against his ribs.
"When?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
A second voice suddenly interrupted the call.
A calm voice.
A familiar voice.
A voice nobody expected.
"Good evening, Sebastian."
Every person in the room froze.
Vincent's face turned white.
Gabriel's eyes widened.
The voice continued.
"You've been asking questions."
"Now I have your therapist."
A low chuckle echoed through the speaker.
"I look forward to meeting you again."
The call disconnected.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Finally Sebastian whispered the name.
"Ricci."
Vincent slowly nodded.
The old fear had returned to his eyes.
"Now you understand."
Sebastian stared at the dark phone screen.
After twenty years, the man everyone believed dead had resurfaced.
And he had taken the one person responsible for giving Sebastian his life back.
The war that destroyed the Lombardi family was not over.
May you like
It had only been sleeping.
And now the ghost of Chicago had awakened.
