Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE GLASS
Roman didn't sleep that night.
Neither did I.
By sunrise, Katherine had secured permission for us to review the archived Riverside project records through the current property administrator.
We drove to the unfinished medical center on the south side of Chicago.
The building stood beside the river like a forgotten promise.
Steel beams.
Weathered concrete.
Rows of dark windows.
And the curved glass atrium my father had once dreamed would become the heart of the hospital.
I stepped out of the car.
For a moment, I could see the building as we'd imagined it.
Children walking through bright hallways.
Families sitting beneath skylights.
Doctors looking out toward the river.
Instead, the place had become a monument to everything Preston had stolen.
Roman approached.
"You okay?"
I nodded.
"Just remembering."
He looked toward the building.
"Your father had vision."
"He did."
"So did you."
I gave him a surprised glance.
"You haven't seen my designs."
Roman smiled faintly.
"I've seen the drawings in the blue folder."
My cheeks warmed.
"Those were student sketches."
"They were good."
I looked away before he could notice me smiling.
Inside, the property administrator led us to the south atrium.
Dust covered the floor.
Sunlight filtered through cracked glass panels.
I approached the wall overlooking the river.
"Here."
Roman followed.
"Where?"
I pointed toward a narrow door concealed behind a temporary partition.
"The utility room."
The administrator unlocked the access panel.
Inside was a small concrete chamber.
Old electrical equipment lined one wall.
A metal cabinet stood in the corner.
Roman searched the room with Marco while I examined the construction markings.
Then I noticed something.
A familiar symbol scratched into the cabinet.
A tiny house.
Three windows.
A slanted roof.
My father's personal mark.
He used to draw it on important plans so I could identify his revisions.
I pointed.
"That's Dad's."
Roman approached.
"Can you open it?"
I examined the latch.
It wasn't locked.
Inside sat a weatherproof storage case.
We carefully documented its location and turned it over to Katherine for proper evidence handling.
Inside were a storage drive, printed inspection reports, and a handwritten note.
The note was addressed to Roman.
Roman,
If you're reading this, Lucia trusted the wrong people, but she did not betray you.
Vincent discovered her investigation. I helped her leave the city because she feared he would kill her.
I intended to tell you everything once she was safe.
Please forgive me for keeping her location secret.
Arthur Bennett.
Roman read the letter twice.
His hands trembled.
"She's alive," he whispered.
I touched his arm.
"We don't know where she is yet."
He looked at me.
"But Dad helped her."
I smiled through tears.
"Yes."
Katherine arranged for the recovered drive to be examined by a forensic specialist.
It contained medical billing records, facility transfers, and surveillance images.
One location appeared repeatedly.
Silver Pines Rehabilitation Center.
A private facility in northern Wisconsin.
Roman stared at the screen.
"That's where Vincent moved her."
The next morning, we traveled there with the appropriate authorities involved.
A facility administrator reviewed the records.
Then led us to a private room.
A woman sat beside the window.
Dark hair.
Thin shoulders.
A pale blue sweater.
She turned when the door opened.
Roman stopped breathing.
"Lucia?"
The woman looked at him.
For a moment, her expression remained blank.
Then tears filled her eyes.
"Roman?"
He crossed the room.
She stood shakily.
And fell into his arms.
I turned away as they held each other.
Seven years.
Seven years of grief.
Seven years of unanswered questions.
And now Roman finally had his sister back.
But when Lucia learned my name, her expression changed.
"Sloan Bennett?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
She gripped my hand.
"Your father saved my life."
Tears filled my eyes.
May you like
Then she whispered something that made my heart stop.
"He also knew Preston was planning to kill him."
