Chapter 4 - Snakes in the Paradise
I snapped my head toward the grand entrance of the mansion.
Walking down the marble steps was a striking woman in her late twenties. She wore a tailored red silk dress, her long blonde hair styled into flawless waves. Her eyes were sharp, cold, and dripping with disdain as she scanned me from head to toe.
"Victoria," Victor said, his tone instantly hardening. "Watch your tongue."
"Oh, please, Victor," the woman sneered, stepping down onto the driveway. "You bring a common server into our family estate, holding a half-breed child, while the Morettis are actively trying to put a bullet in your head? Have you lost your mind?"
"Victoria is my cousin," Victor explained to me, completely ignoring her outburst. "She handles our legal front. And she forgets her place."
Victoria’s cheeks flushed with anger. "I forget my place?! The board is furious, Victor! You’ve spent millions searching for Julian’s killers instead of focusing on the syndicate’s business. And now you bring his street-level widow into the inner circle? Do you know what the other families will think? They'll think you've gone soft!"
"Let them think whatever they want," Victor said, taking a step toward her. His aura was so suffocatingly dominant that Victoria actually took a half-step back. "Let me make one thing crystal clear to you, Victoria. Lena is my sister-in-law. Ellie is Julian’s daughter—my blood. Anyone who disrespects them in this house will answer to me directly. Is that clear?"
Victoria gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with pure malice. "Crystal."
"Good. Now go back inside. We have work to do."
Without another word, Victoria turned on her high heels and marched back into the estate, slamming the heavy wooden doors behind her.
I looked at Victor, my chest tight with worry. "She hates me."
"She hates anyone who threatens her position," Victor said calmly. "Victoria wanted to take over Julian’s share of the family fortune. Now that Ellie is here, Ellie is the rightful heir to Julian’s estate. Victoria sees her as an obstacle."
"An heir?" I gasped. "Victor, Ellie is a baby! I don't want her involved in your family’s money or power struggles. I just want her to be safe!"
"And she will be," Victor promised, looking into my eyes with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. "As long as I am breathing, no one—not Victoria, not Moretti, not anyone—will touch a single hair on her head."
He turned to Mrs. Gable. "Take Lena up to her suite. Ensure she has everything she needs."
"Yes, Mr. Vance. Right this way, ma'am," Mrs. Gable said warmly, gesturing toward the entrance.
I took Ellie back into my arms, holding her close as I followed Mrs. Gable into the mansion. The interior was breathtaking—high ceilings, grand crystal chandeliers, expensive art hanging on marble walls. It was a palace, but to me, it felt like a gilded cage.
Mrs. Gable led me up a grand staircase to a massive suite on the second floor. The room was larger than my entire apartment. It had a king-sized bed with plush white linens, a nursery connected to the main room filled with brand-new baby furniture, toys, and clothes, and a private balcony overlooking the estate’s gardens.
"Mr. Vance had his team restock the nursery three hours ago," Mrs. Gable explained with a gentle smile. "He wanted to make sure the baby had everything she needed."
"Three hours ago?" I whispered, realization hitting me. "He knew before I even lost Ellie in the restaurant?"
"Mr. Vance has been keeping an eye on you for months, dear," Mrs. Gable said softly. "He stayed away because he thought it was what Julian would have wanted. But he never left you truly unprotected."
My heart pounded in my chest. Victor hadn't just chanced upon us tonight. He had been watching from the shadows all along.
After Mrs. Gable left, I bathed Ellie and fed her a fresh bottle of warm milk. Within minutes, she was fast asleep in her crib, looking peaceful and innocent.
I sat on the edge of the large bed, buried my face in my hands, and let out a long breath. My life had completely flipped upside down in less than twelve hours. I went from a desperate, widowed waitress to living in the fortress of the city’s most feared mob boss.
Suddenly, a quiet knock sounded at the suite’s door.
I jumped up, my body tensing. "Who is it?"
"It’s Victor," his deep voice came through the wood. "May I come in?"
I swallowed hard, stepping toward the door. "Yes."
The door opened, and Victor stepped inside. He had removed his tie, and the top two buttons of his black dress shirt were undone, giving him a slightly relaxed look—though he still looked as lethal as ever.
He held a silver tray in his hands, carrying a hot cup of tea and a plate of food.
"You haven't eaten all day," Victor said softly, placing the tray on the side table.
"I'm not very hungry," I murmured, though my stomach betrayed me with a quiet rumble.
A faint, fleeting smile touched Victor's lips. "Eat, Lena. You need your strength."
I sat down and took a sip of the warm tea, feeling its comfort spread through my cold body. Victor walked over to the nursery door, standing silently as he watched Ellie sleep in her crib.
"She looks just like him," Victor said quietly, his voice filled with a rare vulnerability. "Julian had that same curl in his hair when he was a baby."
"She has his eyes, too," I added softly, looking at Victor’s back. "And... she has your determination."
Victor turned around to face me. "Lena... there’s something else you need to know about why I brought you here tonight."
I paused, setting my teacup down. "What is it?"
"The attack at the restaurant wasn't just a random raid by Moretti," Victor said, his eyes darkening. "Moretti knew you were at the restaurant tonight because someone inside my organization leaked your location."
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My blood ran cold. "A traitor?"
"Yes," Victor said coldly. "There is a snake in my house. And until I find out who it is... you and Ellie cannot trust anyone here. Not even the staff."
