692 The mafia boss’s baby refused every person in the restaurant—until a broke waitress picked him up and he clung to her like he had finally found home.

"You knew," I choked out, holding the birth certificate against my chest like a shield. "You knew who I was the second you saw me at that restaurant!"

Lorenzo walked slowly into the room, his long shadows stretching across the floor. He didn't look angry; he looked exhausted, tormented by a pain that ran deeper than any physical scar.

"I didn't know," Lorenzo said quietly, stopping a few feet away from me. "I suspected. Elena told me before she died that she had a sister—a twin who was given away at birth to keep her safe from the internal war that destroyed her family. But she believed her sister was dead."

"My mother... Susan... she lied to me my whole life," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes. "She made me live like a stray cat, moving from town to town, terrified of shadows..."

"Susan was protecting you," Lorenzo said, his voice softer now. He stepped closer, reaching out to gently take the paper from my trembling hands. "The Vance bloodline is a curse, Mara. Elena’s father was a monster who sold his own daughters out to the highest bidder in the underworld. Elena was forced to marry me to forge an alliance."

I looked up into his eyes. "Forced? You didn't love her?"

Lorenzo paused, a flicker of pain crossing his features. "I cared for her. I respected her. And when she bore my son, I swore to protect her with my life. But our marriage was built on duty, not love. Elena’s heart was always guarded. She lived in constant fear."

"How did she die?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

Lorenzo’s jaw tightened, the muscle pulsing. "Fourteen months ago, her car was pushed off a cliff near the coast. The body was never found due to the current, but we found her car submerged, covered in bullet holes. The Moretti family claimed responsibility."

"And you think... you think they want Leo now?"

"They want Leo because he is the sole legal heir to both the Vance empire and the European cartels Elena’s family controlled," Lorenzo explained grimly. "Without Leo, my hold on the syndicate weakens. My enemies want him dead so they can carve up my territory."

He stepped closer, his shadow enveloping me. He reached out and gently rested his thumb against my jawline, wiping away a tear that had slipped down my cheek. The contact was electric, sending a sharp spark through my veins.

"Leo didn't grab your apron by accident, Mara," Lorenzo murmured, his thumb trailing down to my chin. "He instinctively knew you carried her blood. He knew you were family."

"I'm just a waitress, Lorenzo," I whimpered, overwhelmed by the crushing weight of the truth. "I don't know how to fight mafia wars! I don't know how to live in this world!"

"You don't have to fight," Lorenzo said fiercely, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an unyielding intensity. "I will tear this city apart before I let anyone hurt you or my son. But you have to trust me."

Before I could answer, a loud alarm suddenly blared through the manor, red emergency lights flashing along the walls.