Chapter 3 - THE HOUSE OF SHADOWS
The private living quarters on the top floor of the Moretti Mansion had been completely transformed over the last forty-eight hours.
Where once stood cold, minimalist leather furniture and dark steel art, the master suite was now filled with warm mahogany, plush velvet sofas, fresh yellow roses, and a brightly colored play area for little Lily.
It was 2:00 AM. Outside, a light spring rain tapped gently against the reinforced bulletproof windows overlooking the sprawling estate grounds.
Sophia sat on the edge of the massive king-sized bed, wearing a soft silk robe. She watched as Alessandro stood by the fireplace, dressed in a black velvet dressing gown, holding a silver cup of warm milk.
He was kneeling beside a small wooden bed that had been placed right next to theirs.
Eight-year-old Matteo and three-year-old Lily were fast asleep under a heavy goose-down blanket. Lily was curled up against Matteo’s side, her tiny hand clutching his sleeve, while her stuffed rabbit rested on her pillow. Matteo had his arm wrapped protectively around the little girl, snoring softly.
Alessandro set the cup down, his large, scarred hand gently brushing a stray lock of dark hair from his son's forehead, then lightly stroking Lily's soft cheek.
Sophia felt tears prick her eyes. The most feared mob king in North America—a man who had just ordered the arrest of thirty crooked lieutenants across three states—was sitting on the floor, watching two sleeping children with the tender devotion of a guardian angel.
Alessandro stood up quietly and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge beside Sophia.
"They sleep well together," Alessandro said softly, his deep voice rich with emotion.
"Matteo has been so good to her, Alessandro," Sophia whispered, resting her head against his broad shoulder. "He treated her like a little sister from the first day we brought her up here."
"Because he knows what it's like to be afraid, Sophia," Alessandro murmured, wrapping his massive arm around her waist, pulling her broad, voluptuous frame flush against his chest. "When his mother died four years ago in that ambush on the turnpike... Matteo stopped speaking for six months. I thought I had lost him forever."
He turned his dark eyes toward her, looking deep into her hazel gaze.
"Then your daughter gave him his life back," Alessandro said, his fingers gently tracing the soft curve of her jawline. "And you gave me mine."
Sophia felt a warm shiver run down her spine. "Alessandro... I'm still scared. I spent two years running from my ex-husband, hiding in small apartments, working three jobs just to buy milk for Lily. Now I am sitting in a palace, wearing diamonds, and people call me 'Lady Moretti.' I feel like I am living in a dream that could shatter at any second."
Alessandro’s grip on her waist tightened, his thumb pressing firmly into her skin with a possessive, unyielding strength.
"This is not a dream, Sophia," he whispered against her lips, his warm breath fanning across her skin. "And no one will ever make you run again. Your ex-husband, your past, your fears—I will crush them into dust before they ever reach your doorstep."
He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a deep, slow, possessive kiss that made Sophia’s blood run hot. She let out a soft sigh, her arms wrapping around his neck, her fingers tangling in his dark hair as she gave herself entirely over to the safety of his embrace.
Before the moment could go further, a quiet, coded knock sounded at the heavy mahogany door of the suite.
Alessandro broke the kiss reluctantly, resting his forehead against hers for a second before standing up. He stepped over to the door and pulled it open by an inch.
Marco stood outside, his tactical vest splattered with rain and mud.
"Don Alessandro," Marco whispered grimly. "We decrypted Uncle Dominic’s secondary satellite phone. The offshore bank transfers didn't come from the Lucchesi or Genovese families."
Alessandro’s eyes narrowed into slits of lethal steel. "Who paid him?"
"The transfers originated from a shell corporation in Chicago," Marco reported, his voice shaking slightly. "Controlled by Hector Reyes."
Sophia, sitting on the bed, heard the name clearly. Her face went completely pale, her breath catching in her throat as if she had been struck in the chest.
Hector Reyes.
Her violent, sadistic ex-husband—the man she had fled three years ago while pregnant with Lily—was the one who had funded the bomb to destroy the Moretti family.
Alessandro closed the door softly, turning back to look at Sophia. He saw the sheer terror in her eyes, and his heart slammed against his chest with a fierce, unstoppable rage.
He walked over to her, kneeling down between her knees, taking both of her cold, shaking hands in his.
"He found us, Alessandro," Sophia wept, tears spilling over her eyelashes. "Hector found us. He wants Lily... he wants to destroy everything I love!"
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Alessandro brought her hands to his mouth, pressing a deep, fierce kiss against her knuckles.
"He didn't find you, Sophia," Alessandro said, his silver eyes burning with a terrifying, absolute vow. "He walked straight into my trap. And now... I am going to end him."
