The night passed in silence… until the first rays of dawn slipped between the curtains, painting Daniel's room in soft, warm hues.
Daniel stood before the window behind his modest desk, his eyes bearing the traces of a sleepless night, a cup of coffee beginning to cool in his hand.
The morning silence weighed on his chest, as if demanding a decision.
"A new morning... without any progress..." he muttered in a broken tone, his voice a whisper scattered among the silent walls.
He opened the window, and the cold morning breeze touched his face, stirring feelings of alertness and anxiety together.
"What should I do, Lord Ricardo…?" he wondered, his gaze lost on the distant horizon. "How would you act if you were in my place?"
He thought about every detail, every decision that had piled up on him, everything that could succeed or fail, and every second felt heavier than the whole of last night.
The dawn did not bring him relief, but rather ignited a sense of heavy responsibility, as if every step ahead required a delicate balance between caution and determination.
He took a sip of cold coffee, the bitterness in his mouth no less than the bitterness of the reality he was living.
In the silence of that moment, he realized that today would not be like yesterday, and that he would have to face everything, starting with himself, moving on to his tasks, and ending with the people who depended on him... All of them were waiting for his decisions, and perhaps trusted his wisdom more than he deserved.
He slowly opened the door to his room and glanced around, finding Sally standing there, rubbing her small eyes with one hand and holding her teddy bear, Gigi, in the other.
Daniel smiled slightly, despite the fatigue weighing him down.
"Uncle Daniel… I'm hungry," she murmured, her sleepy, innocent eyes sparkling with the morning light that filled the room.
Daniel sighed quietly, wiping the traces of fatigue from his face, and feeling the warmth of a strange responsibility spreading through his chest.
Even in the simplest things... like this child's desire for food, responsibility lies. He thought silently, staring at her for a moment, then approached her with quiet steps, ready to meet her need, as if every small movement was part of the delicate balance that filled his morning.
He bent down to her and gently stroked her head, feeling the warmth of her little hair under his hand.
"I'll get you breakfast right away," he said in a calm voice, mixed with tenderness, as if trying to convey to her the feeling of security that filled his heart.
Sally smiled shyly and tightened her grip on her teddy bear, "Gigi," as if she found in his presence enough reassurance to face her early morning.
He got up slowly, each step deliberate, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on his chest, but also feeling the warmth that these simple moments gave him, moments of calm before the noise of the day.
Even the smallest things... like this little girl's desire for breakfast, had a profound effect on his heart... He thought silently, his eyes examining her for a moment, as if her every movement had a deep meaning.
"Sally... go wake up Maldo too," Daniel said to her in a calm voice.
Sally nodded enthusiastically and ran toward Maldo's room with light steps, bursting with morning energy.
Meanwhile, Maldo was still asleep, but before Sally reached him, he woke up on his own with a slight pain in his head.
"Really! What is this headache in the morning..." he muttered as he opened his eyes and closed them again, trying to resist the heaviness of sleep.
Slowly, he opened his eyes fully and found that sunlight had spilled into his room, illuminating every corner with warm, soft light, while a strong morning breeze crept in through the window, gently moving the curtains and filling the room with the scent of fresh air.
He muttered to himself: Hmm... Did I leave the window open? He thought calmly, then turned around to find the curtains moving and the windows open. Among the folds, Luca stood silently, contemplating life outside with his calm eyes, as if observing the world from afar, while a feeling of curiosity and surprise crept into Maldo.
Maldo raised his eyebrows, apprehensive at the sight of Luca in front of his window, and finally said:
"What are you doing here... Besides, why do you look so disgusting this morning?"
Luca smiled his usual mischievous smile, as if it were second nature to him, and said:
"I'm guarding you, kid, of course."
Then he added jokingly: "Also... what do you mean by disgusting, huh?"
"I mean... what's that on your forehead?"
Maldo sat down, pointing his finger at Luca's forehead in a semi-serious tone.
Luca blinked twice like an idiot, then walked over to Maldo's table, rummaging through his things hastily until he found a small mirror in one of the drawers.
He held it up to his face, looked closely, and said:
"What! There's nothing there!"
Maldo laughed lightly, "Hehe," but he quickly stopped... His smile faded like a spark in the rain.
Something suddenly reminded him—the night Sally cried in his arms, the tremor in her voice, and the tears that flooded his shoulder.
"Right... Sally!" he said excitedly, rushing to get up.
But Luca reached out steadily, pressing down on his shoulder with one hand, his voice more serious than usual this time:
"Calm down, she's fine... Don't worry."
Maldo pushed Luca aside decisively and started to leave, but the door suddenly opened, and Sally appeared in the doorway.
The two froze for a moment, and her face showed surprise at seeing them standing opposite each other at the door.
Maldo quickly approached her, his concern preceding his words:
"Are you okay?"
Sally nodded slightly and smiled a little as she said,
"Yeah... I'm fine."
Then, as was her habit of forgetting everything that worried everyone else, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and shook it with childlike enthusiasm:
"Come on, it's breakfast time!"
Maldo laughed softly, sleepily, and surrendered to her tugging him outside.
But as soon as they left the room, he stopped in his tracks.
At the end of the hallway, Dr. Giulio was standing, holding some papers in his hands, just like last time.
Maldo's face changed immediately, his features crumpling with faint anxiety as he watched the doctor in silence.
What was he doing here today?
And more importantly... those papers...
A sudden thought flashed through his mind, stopping him in his tracks:
Could it be that he has new news about Sally's illness?
Luca lightly grabbed Maldo's shoulder, his voice creeping in with a sarcastic tone:
"What are you thinking about, genius?"
Maldo replied without turning around, feigning indifference:
"Nothing important."
Then he continued on his way to the kitchen, while Luca simply shook his head and smiled a small smile that only he understood.
The smell of coffee mingled with the smell of bread and hot porridge, and the warmth of the morning seeped in through the open kitchen window, carrying with it the scattered sounds of birds outside.
Daniel stood in front of the stove, holding the frying pan with a concentration that was strange for a man who was used to carrying files rather than cooking utensils.
He muttered to himself with a laugh:
"I can't believe I've become a chef..."
But his voice had barely faded when a reply came from behind him, in a cheerful voice full of sarcasm:
"A failed chef, yes... but your food is delicious anyway!"
Daniel turned slowly, only to find Luca standing there, his saliva about to precede his words.
Daniel said coldly and sarcastically as he poured the omelet onto the plate:
"I don't care what you think."
Luca gasped artificially as if his pride had been wounded, then sat down on the floor next to the table, grumbling:
"Cruel as always!"
Maldo laughed lightly as he pulled out a chair to sit down:
"You deserve it."
Sally sat down next to him, overjoyed, her stomach gurgling in harmony with her childish laughter.
Everyone laughed for a moment, as if the morning had begun more beautifully than they had expected.
But while the others were busy, Maldo's eyes remained fixed on Daniel.
He watched him silently and tensely as he placed the dishes on the table with his usual calm steps.
After he serves us our food... he'll go to the doctor.
The thought crept into his mind, and something inside him began to whisper:
I have to do something... I have to find out what's going on...
Moments later, the kitchen was filled with the smell of warm omelets and the sound of small spoons tapping lightly on plates.
Sally was eating with remarkable appetite, and Luca was joking with her between bites, while Daniel sat across from them, unusually silent.
His silence did not last long, as he put his spoon aside and said in a calm but inexplicable tone:
"Finish your meal, I'll be right back."
Maldo watched him out of the corner of his eye as he got up from his seat, picked up his coat from the chair, and walked out of the kitchen with steady steps and an expressionless face.
He was going to talk to him now...
Maldo lowered his head toward his plate, pretending to be busy cutting a piece of bread, but his eyes continued to follow Daniel until he disappeared behind the hallway door.
Only then did he feel the air in the kitchen become a little heavier, as if the smell of food had lost its warmth.
If it were simple... his face wouldn't look like that.
He slowly raised his head, looking toward the empty hallway, and something in his chest began to burn with curiosity and fear at the same time.
He could no longer sit still, nor even pretend to be busy.
He looked at the glass of milk in front of him, and suddenly an idea came to mind.
Maldo pretended that the piece of bread was difficult to cut, then in a deliberate movement, he turned the glass and spilled the milk on his chest.
"Oh, damn! I've ruined my clothes!" he muttered, feigning shock.
He quickly got up from his chair, placing his hands on his chest as if the accident had taken him by surprise. He added loudly enough for Luca and Sally to hear:
"I'll go wash this and be right back!"
With this innocent ruse, he allowed himself to move away from the table and sneak toward the hallway, his heart beating fast, his mind preoccupied with one thought:
I have to find out... what's really going on there?
Maldo walked quietly, sticking as close to the wall as possible, his eyes peering down the hallway until he was close to the lobby.
But he didn't get any closer, remaining invisible, hidden in the shadows.
Daniel and Julio's voices were clear, but he couldn't see their faces, only observing their movements and the doctor's serious tone of voice.
He took a deep breath and tried to focus on every word, every whisper, as if his mind were picking up on hidden details that might reveal to him what was happening.
Maldo's small fingers were tense along the wall, his eyes widening whenever their voices strayed from the usual topic of conversation.
Until Maldo was able to pick up the conversation, Dr. Julio's voice was calm but heavy with seriousness:
"These are Sally's latest test results... I'm sorry to say that her condition is deteriorating."
He continued in a low voice, each word sinking into Maldo's mind:
"This will affect Sally's cognition and concentration... She will also have difficulty with certain things."
Daniel gasped, his voice breaking, his tone shifting between anger and pain:
"Giulio... What the hell is this news!"
Maldo froze for a moment, his small body stretched between the shadow and the wall, his eyes widening as his heart beat faster than he had ever known before.
Every word shook him from within, every whisper from Daniel and Giulio like an echo knocking on his chest.
Maldo heard Daniel ask in a tense but firm tone:
"What about her mother! Have you heard anything matching that description?"
Her mother...! Maldo muttered to himself, his heart beating faster, his mind straining to listen.
He hadn't expected this topic to be on the adults' agenda, and his curiosity immediately escalated.
Giulio replied in a calm but solemn voice:
"No... there's no news. I've asked around... I've even knocked on the doors of several doctors."
Daniel sighed, then said:
"Where did this young lady disappear to, then?"
Giulio laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension:
"It's as if she's been swallowed up by the earth."
"Ah... Never mind that. Is there any improvement in Lord Ricardo?" Daniel added, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
Maldo froze, his eyes widening, and leaned in closer.
As far as I remember... that's my father's name! he whispered to himself.
Giulio replied slowly:
"Lord Ricardo is still in the same condition... There has been no progress. I even think he will remain in a coma for a longer period of time."
Daniel paused for a moment, then added in a low, firm tone:
"You must be careful... No one must know that you are caring for him... And be careful not to slip up and say that he has a son."
Giulio replied, a little confused:
"Of course... but I still don't understand, why do you think his son wasn't registered with the civil registry?"
Maldo whispered to himself, his mind swimming between the words:
What does that mean! I don't understand...
Daniel replied in a calm tone, but one full of deep thought:
"I don't know either... Lord Ricardo has always seen life differently from others... I think he was preparing for a future like this."
At that moment, Maldo froze, stunned by the amount of information he had just discovered, trying to quickly comprehend everything.
At that moment, Maldo froze in place, stunned by the magnitude of what he had heard, trying to quickly comprehend everything, as if his mind was racing but couldn't keep up.
Then, suddenly, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.
His breathing stopped for a moment.
"Damn it… I've been found out," thought Maldo, his eyes widening, disbelief written across his face.