The hospital smelled like antiseptic as Isabella's shoes squeaked on the polished floor. She hurried toward Elena's room. Matteo walked beside her, silent but tense.
Elena lay in the bed looking small and broken. Her left eye was swollen shut, her lip split, and bandages covered her arms.
"Oh, Elena," Isabella said as she rushed to her bedside. "I'm so sorry."
"Not your fault," Elena mumbled, her voice thick and hard to understand through her injured mouth.
"Who did this?" Isabella asked, leaning closer.
"Three men," Elena said, wincing. "I didn't recognize them but they wanted to know about you."
Isabella's stomach twisted. "What did they ask?" she pressed.
"Where you were, what you knew. If you had found anything that belonged to your father," Elena said slowly.
Matteo stepped closer to the bed. "What did you tell them?" he asked.
"Nothing. I don't know anything," Elena said, trying to sit up before falling back with a wince. "But they didn't believe me."
