141 By the time I aimed my gun at the young maid holding my dying son against her bare chest, Leo had already done what twenty doctors, three private clinics, and millions of dollars could not make him do. He swallowed. Once, then again. And in that instant, I realized someone inside my own home might have been slowly killing him.

"Clara," I whispered, my eyes locking onto the ceiling.

"She won't talk," Hunter whispered back, her face pale with terror. "She would die before she gave us up."

"That's what I’m afraid of," I said, pulling my weapon.

I stood up, stepping quietly toward the barricaded door. Through the cracks in the wood, I heard the muffled sound of a man’s voice—smooth, arrogant, and instantly recognizable.

"I know they're here, Clara," Marco Rossi said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "My cousin is a very dangerous man. He’s lost his mind since his wife died. He kidnapped that poor maid and her child. We just want to bring them home safely."

"I don't know any Rossi," Clara’s voice cracked, followed by the sharp, wet sound of a physical blow. She let out a cry, falling to the floor.

"Don't lie to me, old woman," Marco snapped. "Search the basement."

"Lorenzo," Hunter whispered, her hand grabbing my sleeve. "What do we do?"

"There is an old coal chute in the back corner of this room," I said, pointing to a small, iron door near the ceiling. "It leads to the side alley. I can get you up there, but you have to run. Don't look back. Go to the police precinct on 5th. Ask for Captain Moretti. Tell him you are with Lorenzo Rossi."

"No," Hunter said, her voice shaking but resolute. "I am not leaving you."

"Hunter, they will kill you to get to Leo," I said, my hands grabbing her shoulders. "You are the only thing keeping my son alive. If I die, you keep him safe. You take the Rossi fortune—I’ve already set up a blind trust in your name. Just save my boy."

She stared at me, her eyes shining with a fierce, unexpected emotion. "We survive together, Lorenzo. Or we don't survive at all."

Before I could answer, the door of the storage room shuddered under a massive impact.

BOOM.

The wooden shelves groaned.

BOOM.

The lock shattered, and the door was kicked open.

Marco stepped into the room, flanked by four heavily armed mercenaries. He looked at me, a smug, victorious grin spreading across his face.

"Well, cousin," Marco said, adjusting the lapels of his cashmere coat. "You’ve really fallen. Hiding in a basement with the help. Sophia would be so embarrassed."

"You killed her," I said, my voice dead, devoid of all emotion.

"The car bomb was supposed to take you out too," Marco sighed, shaking his head. "But you’ve always had ridiculous luck, Lorenzo. Luckily, the doctor was easy to buy. A few million in an offshore account, and he was more than happy to make sure your little heir quietly faded away."

"You're a monster," Hunter spat, standing up and holding Leo behind her back.

Marco looked at her, his eyes cold. "And you’re a nuisance, Hunter. You should have kept your head down. Now, you’re just collateral damage."

Marco raised his gun, pointing it directly at Hunter’s head.

"Goodbye, cousin," Marco said.

But he had made one critical mistake. He had spent too much time talking.

From the shadows behind him, a massive figure appeared. It was Marcus, my head of security, his face covered in soot and blood, accompanied by six of my most loyal soldiers.