Chapter 4 - Unearthing the Snakes
Three weeks had passed, and the transformation in Noelle was nothing short of miraculous.
With proper nutrition, sleep, and the immense joy of being with her children, her skin glowed, and the haunted look in her hazel eyes had been replaced by a fierce, protective light. She spent every hour with Leo, Matteo, and Isabella. The triplets, once fussy and prone to silent, terrified staring spells, were now laughing, babbling, and thriving. They crawled after Noelle like ducklings, their faces lighting up whenever she entered the room.
Damian watched her from the shadows of his study, his heart aching with a feeling he had never experienced before: peace.
But peace was a luxury a mafia boss could rarely afford.
"Boss," Reyes said, stepping into the study and closing the door. "We found Dr. Joseph Vance. He’s been hiding out in a secluded private clinic in upstate New York, funded by Don Silvio’s front companies."
Damian stood up, adjusting his cuffs. "Get the car."
"Damian, wait."
They both turned to see Noelle standing in the doorway. She was wearing a simple but elegant emerald green dress Damian had ordered for her. Her hair was pinned back, and her jaw was set in a determined line.
"I’m coming with you," she said.
"Noelle, it’s too dangerous," Damian protested immediately. "Vance is a cornered rat. And Silvio’s men might be watching."
"They are my children," Noelle said, stepping into the room. She walked right up to Damian, looking up into his dark eyes without flinching. "He is the doctor who took them from my body and lied to my face. I need to look him in the eye when he confesses. I am not a victim anymore, Damian. Let me stand beside you."
Damian stared at her. He saw the steel in her spine, the absolute lack of fear. She wasn't just a mother; she was a lioness. A dangerous, intoxicating respect for her bloomed in his chest.
"Reyes," Damian said, never breaking eye contact with Noelle. "Get her a bulletproof vest. She comes with us."
An hour later, the black SUV arrived at the secluded clinic. It was a sterile, modern building surrounded by dense woods. Damian’s men moved in like shadows, neutralizing the security guards without firing a single loud shot.
Damian, Noelle, and Reyes kicked open the heavy doors of the director's office.
Dr. Joseph Vance, a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a manicured beard, jumped up from his desk, his face draining of color as he recognized Damian.
"M-Mr. Marchetti," Vance stammered, backing toward the window. "What is the meaning of this? I am a respected doctor—"
"You are a human trafficker," Noelle said, stepping out from behind Damian.
Vance froze, his eyes widening as he recognized her face. "You... you’re Noelle Bishop. You’re dead. Silvio said—" He cut himself off, realizing his mistake.
"Silvio said what?" Damian asked, his voice a low, terrifying growl. He stepped forward, grabbing Vance by the collar of his white coat and slamming him onto the desk, scattering papers everywhere. Damian pulled a silver-plated pistol from his holster and pressed the cold barrel directly against Vance’s temple. "Tell me everything, doctor, or I will paint this wall with your medical degree."
"Please! Please don't kill me!" Vance shrieked, his professional facade completely crumbling. "It was Camilla! She came to me five years ago after her hysterectomy. She was desperate. She said you would cast her aside if she couldn't give you an heir. Then, Don Silvio got involved. He told me to find a healthy, pregnant woman with no family. A girl who wouldn't be missed."
Noelle clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms so hard they drew blood. "So you chose me."
"Yes!" Vance sobbed. "We monitored you. When you went into labor early, I induced a coma. I took the babies and delivered them to Camilla’s private suite. I signed the fake stillbirth papers. Don Silvio paid me five million dollars to keep quiet!"
"And where are the records?" Damian pressed the gun harder. "The real birth certificates. The proof that Noelle is their biological and legal mother."
"In... in the safe behind the painting!" Vance whimpered. "The code is 10-24-14. Please, just let me go!"
Reyes quickly moved to the painting, swinging it open and punching in the code. He pulled out a thick binder containing the original, unaltered birth certificates with Noelle’s signature as the mother, along with the DNA profiles of the infants at birth.
Noelle took the papers, clutching them to her chest as if they were gold. Tears of relief streamed down her face. She had her proof.
"What do we do with him, Boss?" Reyes asked, eyeing Vance with disgust.
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"Keep him alive," Damian said coldly, releasing his grip on the doctor, who slumped to the floor, gasping. "We need his testimony to destroy Don Silvio. Lock him in the safe house."
As they walked out of the clinic, Noelle felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. But as she looked at Damian’s grim face, she knew the snake’s head had not yet been cut off. Don Silvio would soon realize Vance was gone, and a cornered mafia don was the most dangerous creature alive.
