Chapter 5 - The Fortress on the Island
The Moretti estate on Long Island was a sprawling, stone mansion surrounded by high brick walls, iron gates, and high-tech security systems. It was a fortress designed to withstand a siege.
By evening, the rain had begun to fall over the Atlantic, washing over the grand windows of the estate's private quarters.
In the master bedroom suite, a private physician had already cleaned and stitched Aleandro’s shoulder wound. Aleandro sat on the edge of the large leather sofa, wearing a simple black shirt, his shoulder wrapped tightly in white bandages.
Sarah walked into the room holding a cup of hot tea.
Downstairs, Lily was fast asleep in a giant, comfortable bed, guarded by two of Aleandro’s most trusted household staff, wrapped in a warm blanket with a brand-new stuffed bear.
Sarah set the tea down on the table beside him. She sat on the opposite end of the sofa, looking at the man she had spent three years running from.
"She looks so much like you," Sarah said softly, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "The blue-gray eyes. The dark hair. The way she tilts her head when she’s thinking."
Aleandro looked down at his hands. "I know. I have three thousand photos of her in my desk drawer downstairs."
Sarah’s eyes filled with fresh tears. "Aleandro... why didn't you just tell me? Why let me struggle in that tiny apartment? Why let me think I was completely alone?"
"Because if you knew I was paying for your life, you would have moved again," Aleandro said quietly, looking up at her. "You were terrified of me, Sarah. And you had every right to be. I am a monster to the rest of the world."
"You aren't a monster to her," Sarah whispered.
Aleandro’s eyes softened. "I spent my whole life building an empire out of fear and violence. But the day Vincent told me you were pregnant... I realized none of it mattered. The only thing in this world that has any real value is her. And you."
He reached across the sofa, opening his palm to her just as he had in the park.
"I won't force you to stay here, Sarah," Aleandro promised gently. "Once the rest of Marco's men are dealt with, I will buy you a house anywhere in the world. I will give you all the money you need. I will stay away if that's what you want."
Sarah looked at his open hand. She remembered the three years of cold nights, the thin strawberries, the faceless man in Lily’s drawings, and the way Aleandro had threw himself over them without a second thought when the bullets flew.
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Slowly, Sarah reached out and placed her hand inside his.
"She doesn't want a faceless man in her drawings anymore, Al," Sarah said softly, a warm smile breaking through her tears. "She wants her father."
