Chapter 10 - Resetting the Clock
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Carol arrived at the hospital room precisely thirty-five minutes later, carrying a plain black leather briefcase.
She motioned for Maya to guard the door from the outside. Carol walked to the side of the bed, pulled a secondary, encrypted mobile device from her bag, and handed it to Elena.
"You have six hours left on the timer," Carol said quietly.
Elena took the phone with steady fingers. Her fractured skull throbbed, but her mind was crystal clear. She opened the hidden application, entered a complex 16-character alphanumeric code she had memorized years ago, and completed a facial recognition scan.
The screen flashed green.
FAILSAFE OVERRIDDEN.
TIMER RESET: 48 HOURS, 00 MINUTES.
Elena let out a long, slow breath. The sword hanging over the Moretti family had been pulled back for another two days.
"Did you cancel the release?" Carol asked.
"No," Elena said, her voice growing stronger. "I reset it because I choose when the bomb drops. Not my husband, and not my unconsciousness."
"Matteo hasn't come to see you," Carol informed her. "His defense attorney advised him to stay away to avoid looking like he's intimidating a witness. His official statement to the police is still that you took a fall."
Elena looked out the window at the gray Manhattan skyline. A cold, bitter smile touched her lips.
"He told them I fell?" Elena whispered.
"Yes."
"Remind him," Elena turned her head back to Carol, her gaze burning with terrifying resolve, "there are no stairs in our penthouse."
May you like
Carol smirked slightly, making a note on her legal pad. "Dante Bellarosa is outside in the hallway. He wants to talk to you. Only if you're ready."
Elena nodded. "Bring him in."
