CHAPTER 1 She Thought She Saved an Abandoned Child… Until Armed Men Surrounded Her Apartment Before Sunrise
The knock never came.
At exactly 5:58 a.m., every window in Sophie's tiny apartment rattled.
A convoy of black SUVs surrounded the old building like wolves closing in on wounded prey. Neighbors peeked through cracked curtains before quickly disappearing. Everyone knew those vehicles belonged to men ordinary people never wanted to meet.
Sophie had barely finished changing the bandage on the injured boy when heavy footsteps thundered up the staircase.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each step sounded closer.
Leo instantly sat upright.
His frightened expression changed into something colder.
"They found me."
Before Sophie could ask who "they" were, the apartment door burst inward.
Four heavily armed men flooded the room with military discipline, rifles raised.
"Hands where we can see them!"
Sophie instinctively stepped in front of Leo.
"Please!" she cried. "He's injured!"
The tallest guard aimed directly at her chest.
"Move."
Leo suddenly shouted.
"No!"
The room froze.
The frightened little boy slowly stood despite the pain shooting through his ribs.
"You don't point guns at her."
Every man immediately lowered his weapon.
Sophie blinked in disbelief.
The child she thought needed protection was apparently giving orders.
One of the guards bowed his head.
"We're sorry, Young Master."
Sophie's stomach dropped.
Young Master?
Who exactly had she brought into her apartment?
Before anyone could explain, another convoy arrived outside.
This time...
No one moved.
Even the armed guards became visibly nervous.
One whispered quietly.
"Boss is here."
Silence swallowed the room.
Then a pair of polished Italian shoes appeared in the broken doorway.
The man entering was over six feet tall, dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal overcoat despite the pouring rain.
His icy gray eyes swept across the destroyed apartment.
Every guard lowered their heads.
No one dared breathe.
Dominic Moretti had arrived.
Chicago's invisible king.
The man newspapers never mentioned by name...
but everyone feared.
His eyes landed on Leo.
Then...
they slowly shifted toward Sophie.
For one endless second...
the world's most dangerous man simply stared at the exhausted waitress standing protectively in front of his son.
Nobody expected what happened next.
Dominic removed his leather gloves.
Walked directly toward Sophie.
And quietly said,
"Thank you for bringing my son home alive."
Every guard looked shocked.
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Because Dominic Moretti had never thanked anyone.
Not once.
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