Chapter 2 - Behind Steel Walls
Within two hours, the estate had transformed into an impenetrable fortress. Black SUV convoys patrolled the perimeter, armored guards flanked every hallway, and security protocols reached maximum clearance levels. Damiano’s personal penthouse on the top floor of the mansion was converted into our safe haven.
I sat at the edge of a massive king-sized bed, watching Emma sleep peacefully despite the storm raging outside. The trauma of the evening had finally caught up with her small body, but for me, sleep was a distant luxury.
The door softly clicked open, and Damiano walked in, carrying two cups of tea. He offered one to me, taking a seat on the leather chair across from the bed.
"She’s a remarkable little girl," he said softly, his dark eyes observing Emma's steady breathing.
"She didn't know what she was walking into," I replied, taking a small sip. "Mr. Moretti... Damiano... you didn't have to tell those men what you said. Claiming us in front of the five dons... it puts a target on our backs."
"You already had a target the moment Bianca saw Emma," Damiano said, his tone uncompromising. "Bianca isn't working alone. Her father, Vincent Vance, has been plotting to take control of New York for months. The bomb was meant to erase me and the other family heads, leaving Vincent as the undisputed king of the East Coast."
"And Bianca?" I asked, my blood running cold at the thought of the elegant woman who had smiled at me just hours before.
"She is currently in our secure holding facility below the estate," Damiano answered coolly. "She refuses to talk, waiting for her father’s men to extract her. But Vincent knows he failed. He will come at us with everything he has."
He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. The faint scent of sandalwood and gunpowder clung to him. "You and Emma cannot return to your apartment. You cannot resume your old life. Until Vance is dealt with, you stay with me."
"I’m just a maid, Damiano," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I clean your floors. I served your guests. How am I supposed to fit into this world?"
"You saved my life, Sophia," he said, rising from his chair and stepping toward the bed. He reached out, his thumb gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The unexpected touch sent a shiver straight down my spine. "You are no longer a maid. In the eyes of the underworld, you are the woman who holds my trust. And in my world, trust is more valuable than gold."
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Before I could process his words, his encrypted phone vibrated on his belt. He glanced at the screen, his expression instantly hardening back into the formidable crime boss.
"Matteo found something in Marco's apartment," Damiano said, moving toward the door. "Get some rest, Sophia. Tomorrow, the true war begins."
