“What is this?” Luca asked, his voice suddenly quiet.

Dr. Voss looked up from her medical bag, her eyes fixing on the amber bottle.

“That is his prescription,” Dr. Voss said. “It should have been half full. I filled it myself three days ago.”

“An empty bottle,” Luca said, turning it slowly in his gloved fingers. “A lethal dose of this medication would cause cardiac arrest. It would look exactly like a natural heart attack.”

He looked around the room, his eyes skipping past Sofia, past Marcus Hale, and landing directly on me.

“Who prepares my cousin’s evening tray?” Luca asked.

The room went completely silent.

The only sound was the wind howling against the windowpane and the rhythmic, labored breathing of the man in the bed.

Sofia looked at me, her eyes wide with sudden fear.

“Nina does,” Sofia whispered, her voice trembling. “But she has been with us for years, Luca. She wouldn’t.”

“Years of service mean nothing when the price is right,” Luca said, taking a slow step toward me.

Marcus Hale did not move from his corner, but his eyes locked onto my face, watching for any sign of guilt.