Chapter 4 - Shadows Over the Port
Two weeks passed. The Moretti manor transformed.
The three triplets were thriving. They gained weight, laughed, and slept through the night. The dark circles under Adrien’s eyes vanished, but the storm brewing in the criminal underworld was only beginning.
The interrogation of Victoria’s satellite phone had revealed a dangerous truth. The acoustic device hadn't just been bought by an ambitious aunt; it had been supplied by the Falcone family—Adrien’s ruthless rival syndicate based in New York.
The Falcones were planning a takeover of the Moretti shipping ports. They knew that as long as Adrien was distracted by his dying wife and traumatized children, he couldn't defend his territory. Victoria was simply their willing pawn.
In the manor, Elena had moved into a beautiful private apartment on the second floor. Sophie had become an inseparable companion to the triplets. Every morning, she sat on the play-mat, showing Theo how to stack blocks, or helping Nora hold her bottle.
Adrien watched them through the security monitors in his office every afternoon. For the first time in years, the cold, empty house felt like a home.
One evening, Marco entered Adrien’s office, his expression grave.
"Boss," Marco said, setting a file on the desk. "Don Falcone has called a summit at the neutral docks in Baltimore. He wants to negotiate the shipping rights."
"Negotiate?" Adrien sneered. "He tried to destroy my children’s minds."
"He doesn't know we caught Victoria," Marco explained. "He thinks you’re still distracted, losing your mind over sick infants. He thinks you’re weak right now."
Adrien tapped his fingers on the desk. "Good. Let him think that."
"Are you going to the summit?"
"Yes," Adrien said, standing up. "And I’m going to end the Falcone family once and for all. But first, security at the manor must be doubled. Nobody enters. Nobody leaves."
"Understood, Boss."
Before leaving for Baltimore, Adrien walked up to the nursery.
Elena was reading a bedtime story to Sophie, while the triplets babbled happily in their playpen. When Adrien walked in, Sophie immediately stood up and ran to him, wrapping her small arms around his knee.
Adrien picked her up effortlessly, setting her on his hip. He had never been an affectionate man, but this little girl had unlocked a door in his heart he thought had been buried with his late wife.
"I have to go away for a short trip, Sophie," Adrien said softly.
Sophie looked at his dark suit, then at the leather holster hidden beneath his jacket. "Are you going to fight the bad men?"
Adrien paused, surprised by her sharpness. "I am going to make sure the bad men never come near this house again."
Sophie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, shiny yellow button. She pressed it into Adrien’s palm.
"This is from Sally’s old dress," Sophie said solemnly. "It’s a lucky button. Keep it in your pocket."
Adrien closed his fingers around the cheap plastic button. To a man worth hundreds of millions, it was the most valuable thing he owned.
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"Thank you, little guardian," Adrien whispered, kissing her forehead. "Take care of my babies while I’m gone."
"I will," Sophie promised, her small face filled with absolute determination.
