“Yes.”
“You signed the final report.”
“Yes.”
“Were you running an unauthorized neonatal immune study?”
Hargrove closed his eyes.
That was answer enough.
Liana’s grip tightened around Nico.
Matteo’s voice lowered.
“How many children?”
Hargrove opened his eyes.
“It wasn’t supposed to become what it became.”
Matteo stepped forward.
“How many?”
Hargrove looked at Dominic, then Liana.
“Twelve.”
Liana felt the room tilt.
Matteo remained motionless.
“And the mothers?”
“Not all were involved.”
“Elena?”
Hargrove said nothing.
Matteo’s eyes hardened.
“Elena?”
Hargrove whispered, “Yes.”
The single word seemed to remove the air from the room.
Matteo turned away.
For months he had imagined a hundred explanations for his wife’s death.
None had included deliberate concealment by the people assigned to save her.
Hargrove began speaking quickly.
“The study started legally. Years ago. Funding disappeared. Bell believed the research could still produce a breakthrough. He began continuing certain tests privately.”
“Without consent.”
Hargrove looked down.
“Yes.”
Liana stepped forward.
“My son.”
Hargrove looked at her.
“Please—”
“What did you do to my son?”
His voice broke.
“I didn’t perform the procedure.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Hargrove closed his eyes.
“Bell did.”
Liana’s knees nearly weakened.
Matteo moved beside her but did not touch her.
She forced herself to remain standing.
Hargrove continued.
“The blood compatibility work itself was not meant to harm anyone. But Bell became reckless. He began using infants whose markers matched rare profiles.”
Liana whispered, “Why?”
“To test immune responses. Treatment pathways. Antibody reactions.”
She stared at him.
“On babies.”
Hargrove looked ashamed.
