696 "The grieving maid ran toward the mafia boss’s screaming baby—and the moment he fell silent in her arms, his father realized something was terribly wrong. By dawn, Matteo Varric would discover why his nine-month-old son recognized a woman he had never met.

By dawn, the storm had passed over the estate, leaving the sky a bruised shade of violet and slate gray.

The main mansion was a disaster zone—windows shattered, walls peppered with bullet holes, and the grand foyer littered with debris. But Matteo’s security forces, reinforced by fifty heavily armed men from his loyalist squads in New York, had completely secured the perimeter.

Inside Matteo’s private study on the third floor, a war council was underway.

Julian stood by the map table, his shoulder wrapped in heavy white bandages from a bullet graze he had taken during the night’s battle. Several elder capos of the Varric family sat around the large mahogany table, their faces dark and grim.

Liana sat in a plush armchair near the corner, wearing a clean sweater and trousers. Nico was happily playing on a soft blanket at her feet, chewing on a wooden teething ring, completely blissfully unaware of the war brewing around him.

"Elena’s father, Don Alberto Moretti, has mobilized three hundred men in Sicily and New Jersey," Julian reported, placing intelligence documents on the table. "They’ve seized our shipping docks in Brooklyn and froze three of our joint European accounts. Elena is staying at the Moretti fortified compound in Long Island."

"She wants the trust," Matteo said, sitting at the head of the table. His suit was fresh, his face shaved, and his eyes burned with a terrifying, crystal-clear focus. "She can't access the three hundred million dollars in the Varric child trust without Nico’s physical presence and a court-certified custody order."

"Which she can get if she proves she's alive and claims you're an unfit father," one of the elder capos pointed out. "The public court system doesn't know she faked her death. She can claim you held her captive and subjected the child to a dangerous environment."

"She won't get the chance to step into a courtroom," Matteo said, his voice cold enough to stop a heart. "We strike the Long Island compound tonight."

"Boss, with all due respect," Julian warned, "the Moretti compound is a fortress. It has heavy weapons, blast walls, and private security forces. Attacking them head-on will cause a bloodbath on the streets of New York. The federal authorities will step in and shut both our families down."

Matteo leaned forward, resting his chin on his crossed hands. "Then we don't attack it head-on. We use the one thing Elena doesn't think we have."

He turned his head and looked directly at Liana.

The entire room turned to look at the young maid.

Liana blinked, feeling the weight of ten powerful mobsters staring at her. "Me?"

"Elena thinks you're just a servant," Matteo said, a slow, dangerous smile touching his lips. "She thinks you're weak, replaceable, and terrified. She doesn't know that you’re the reason her three-week psychological plot failed in a single hour."

Matteo stood up and walked over to Liana, kneeling beside her chair so he was at eye level with her.

"Elena left a secondary phone in the garage last night," Matteo explained softly. "We traced an incoming text message received twenty minutes ago. It was from Elena. She offered one million dollars to whoever brings her the maid and the child quietly."

Liana’s eyes widened. "She wants me to bring Nico to her?"

"She thinks she’s setting a trap for a greedy servant," Matteo whispered, reaching out to gently touch Liana’s cheek, his thumb brushing away a trace of dust. "I want you to answer that text, Liana. I want you to tell her you’ll trade Nico for the million dollars tonight at the Long Island marina."

Liana gasped, her heart pounding. "You want me to act as bait?"

"I will never let anyone hurt you or my son," Matteo swore, his voice filled with an intense, ironclad sincerity that sent a shiver down her spine. "My elite team will be hidden inside the cargo containers at the marina. The moment Elena steps out to take Nico, we close the trap and end the Moretti family forever."

Liana looked down at Nico, who looked up at her and let out a sweet, bubbly giggle, reaching his tiny arms toward her. She looked back into Matteo’s desperate, fiercely protective eyes.

"I’ll do it," Liana said without hesitation. "On one condition."

Matteo raised an eyebrow. "Name it."