Chapter 1 - THE TIDE ROLLS INThe ringing phone in my hand vibrated like a death knell. Elara’s mother, Eleanor, was on the line, her voice trembling—a stark contrast to the ice-cold authority she had exerted over Elara for two decades.
"Marcus," Eleanor gasped, her breath ragged. "What have you done? Arthur’s hospital panel suspended him! The press is standing on our driveway! Do you have any idea what this will do to our family's legacy?"
I stood on the stone balcony, looking out over the dark expanse of the Amalfi Coast. The Mediterranean wind blew past my face, cold and unforgiving.
"Your legacy," I said, my tone deadly quiet, "was built on the flesh and blood of the twelve-year-old girl you threw to a monster. You didn’t protect a son, Eleanor. You raised a predator. And now, the bill has come due."
"He was just a boy back then! He had a brilliant mind!" she shrieked, dropping all pretense of maternal care. "He is a world-renowned pediatric surgeon now! He saves lives!"
"He tortured his sister," I snapped. "And you watched."
Before she could scream another word, I disconnected the call and blocked her number. But as I turned back toward the bedroom, I saw Elara standing in the doorway, wrapped in the white linen robe. Her eyes were red, but the helpless sobbing from hours ago was gone. In its place was something terrifyingly cold.
"It's starting, isn't it?" she asked softly.
"It started the moment I pulled down that zipper, Elara," I replied, walking over to clasp her hands in mine. "I have shorted your family’s holding company. I’ve alerted the state attorney general. By noon, the entire country will know what Dr. Arthur Vance truly is."
She looked into my eyes, her lips trembling slightly. "Marcus... you don't understand. My father... he isn't just a retired judge. He kept records. He has leverage on people you can't even imagine. They won't just let Arthur fall. They will destroy us to keep this buried."
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Suddenly, her phone lit up on the nightstand. An encrypted text message flashed across the screen from an unknown number:
"Enjoy the Coast, little sister. But remember... doctors always know where to cut."
