Dr. Valente stood on the platform beside Bruno, his eyes moving between Mara and the sea of faces watching him. He looked like a man who had agreed to something and was only now understanding the room he'd walked into.
Bruno had worked it perfectly.
"Dr. Valente," he said warmly, placing a hand on the doctor's shoulder, "treated Mrs. Ferrante for years in her old neighborhood. I thought his presence tonight would reassure the Council about the heir's welfare. After all, who better to speak to her medical history than the physician who knows it best?"
Several Dons went quiet.
Don Greco leaned forward slightly, his expression shifting from casual interest to sharp focus.
Across the room, Nico went very still.
Mara could feel it, even from thirty feet away, the cold, contained fury radiating off him like a physical force.
Bruno turned to Valente with an encouraging smile. "Please, Doctor. Share what you know."
