CHAPTER 55: The Man Behind The Mask

CHAPTER 55: The Man Behind The Mask
Chapter 55
Lucas POV

“Please, just hold on a little longer,” I muttered to myself, foot pressed hard on the gas pedal as the city blurred past me in streaks of gray and red.

Rosetta sat beside me, silent, her lips moving rapidly in whispered prayers. Her hands were clenched tightly together, knuckles pale, and her entire body trembled with fear.

I glanced at my watch. Shit. Less than twenty-five minutes left. My jaw locked tight as panic clawed up my throat.

My mother’s life was hanging on a thread.

And something told me this wasn’t just a medical emergency. This felt planned. This reeked of betrayal.

I slammed on the horn, veering past a slow-moving SUV. “Get the fuck out of the way!” I shouted, gripping the wheel tighter.

Rosetta flinched beside me, but said nothing.

I didn’t have time to comfort her. Not now.

I swerved into the hospital driveway, screeching to a stop near the entrance. My men were already stationed outside like I’d instructed. Before the car even came to a full stop, Rosetta jumped out and rushed into the hospital.

I stepped out slowly, nodding briefly at the guards, my face unreadable, fury boiling beneath my skin. I stormed into the building, heading straight toward the ICU—only to collide with the head nurse.

“Where the hell is security?” I snapped, grabbing her by the arm. “I need access to this hospital’s surveillance system. Now.”

She stammered, “Sir, I— I don’t think I’m allowed to—”

“Don’t make me ask again.”

Her eyes widened as she quickly pointed down the hallway. “This way, sir.”

I followed close behind, my steps loud and menacing. She stopped outside a locked room, nodded to the security manager inside, and gestured at me. “He’s with us. He needs access to the surveillance.”

The manager hesitated, squinting at me.

I didn’t wait for his approval. I pushed past him, sat at the desk, and jabbed a finger at the keyboard. “Am I supposed to beg for the password too?”

He quickly typed it in without a word.

The system booted up. I dove into the footage, skipping past the hallways until I zeroed in on the ICU.

“What the fuck…” I muttered under my breath, eyes narrowing as the footage played.

A man in scrubs entered the ward, face hidden behind a surgical mask. His movements were calculated. Careful. He checked over his shoulder, and with one swift tug, he pulled a vital cord from the monitor. My mother’s monitor.

Then he walked away like nothing happened, vanishing into a hallway marked Staff Only.

“Run facial recognition,” I growled.

The security manager typed furiously. The system scanned, processed—then beeped. A face popped up.

Match: 93% — Dr. Elias Cordero.

I leaned back slowly, jaw clenching. My gut had warned me. I should’ve listened.

A knock came on the door. I didn’t look up until the private investigator walked in.

“Duke,” I said flatly. “Tell me you have something.”

He nodded, handing me a sealed envelope. “Everything’s in here. I’ve been trailing Cordero for months. There’s a lot—rumors about patients going missing, ties to trafficking. I never had solid proof until now.”

I opened the file and flipped through the pages. My stomach churned.

Military documents. Photos of him in uniform. Black Operations — Unit 13.

And then—there it was.

A photo of Cordero. But the name underneath read: Matteo Del Rio.

I froze. The puzzle pieces locked into place.

“Motherfucker…” I whispered.

Cordero wasn’t just a rogue doctor—he was still active with Unit 13. He was planted. He seduced my sister. He tried to kill my mother.

I felt my vision blur with rage.

I stormed out of the room, the file still clutched in my hand. As I reached the entrance, Riccardo’s Mercedes pulled up. He barely had time to get out before I brushed past him.

“Lucas!” he called out, confused. “What’s going on?”

My phone buzzed. I snatched it from my pocket. “What?” I barked into the receiver.

“It’s Collins, sir,” came the voice. “He’s missing too.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. My breath caught.

Collins. Gone.

No one could be trusted. Not anymore.

“Lucas, talk to me!” Riccardo grabbed my arm. “What’s happening?”

I turned sharply to him, eyes blazing. “What’s happening? Everything, Riccardo! Everything is falling apart! Cordero—he’s not who he says he is. He’s Matteo. Matteo Del fucking Rio! And now Collins is missing too. My mother’s dying. My house isn’t safe. Nothing is fucking safe!”

Riccardo’s face went pale. “Wait. Matteo? The one from Unit 13? Lucas, this is—this is huge.”

“No shit.”

“Okay, okay. Breathe. We’ll find a way out of this,” he said, grabbing my shoulder.

I shook him off and stalked toward my mother’s ward. I paused at the door, watching her weak, fragile form lying still. My heart clenched.

Then I turned to Rosetta, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into the hallway.

“Talk to me,” I said, voice low and sharp. “Tell me every single conversation you’ve ever had with Cordero. Every detail. I don’t care how small it seems—if he so much as asked you what brand of gum you like, I want to know.”

Her eyes widened, confusion written all over her face. “Lucas, I—I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice, my eyes boring into hers. “You don’t need to understand. You just need to talk. Now.”