Chapter 4 - SECRETS IN THE MASTER SUITEThe Rossi master suite was a fortress of dark wood, leather, and suppressed violence. Lorenzo immediately rushed to a large, framed oil painting of a fierce Tuscan landscape on the far wall, swung it open, and punched a rapid biometric code into a hidden keypad.
A heavy steel door hissed open, revealing a compact, high-tech panic room equipped with independent air filtration, monitors, and medical supplies.
"Get inside," Lorenzo ordered, gently ushering me through.
I sank onto a leather medical cot in the corner, finally letting out a shuddering breath. Leo stirred against my chest, letting out a soft sigh before settling back into a deep, peaceful sleep. The contrast between the nightmare outside and the fragile life cradled in my arms was overwhelming.
Lorenzo worked furiously at the console, tapping commands into the terminal to override the estate's security system. On the main monitors, the hallway outside was empty, the white fog slowly dissipating.
"She’s locked herself in the security wing," Lorenzo muttered, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle twitched in his cheek. "She has access to the perimeter gates. If she escapes with Julian, she'll run straight to the Chicago syndicate. They’ve been looking for an excuse to overthrow my territory."
I looked up from the cot, my hands still trembling. "Why did she want Leo dead so badly? I mean, I know greed, but... poisoning a two-month-old baby? That’s pure evil."
Lorenzo stopped typing. He slowly turned around, leaning back against the console. The harsh fluorescent light of the panic room cast deep shadows across his face, making him look older, exhausted, and profoundly burdened.
"It’s not just greed," Lorenzo said quietly. "My father’s will stipulated that the Rossi empire and all hidden assets would bypass my brother completely and go directly to the firstborn male heir of the bloodline. My brother died two years ago. Julian was the only heir—until Leo was born."
My breath hitched. "So if Leo died... Julian inherits everything."
"And Elena controls Julian," Lorenzo finished, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "She orchestrated my brother's death, too. I always suspected it, but I didn't have the proof. Now... she’s tried to take my son."
He looked at me, his dark eyes softening just a fraction as they drifted down to the baby resting against my heart. "And you... a maid who lost her own child three weeks ago... walked into a nursery you were forbidden to enter, and saved his life."
Hot tears pricked my eyes. I looked away, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. "I lost my little girl, Lily. When I heard him crying... it felt like God was giving me one last chance to save a child, even if I couldn't save my own."
Lorenzo pushed off the console, walking slowly across the small room until he stood right in front of me. He knelt down so his eyes were level with mine.
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"Lily didn't die in vain," Lorenzo said, his voice steady, carrying an absolute weight of conviction. "She brought you to my door. And tonight, you kept my son breathing. In my world, debts are paid in full. No one will ever touch you again. I swear it on my life."
Before I could answer, a piercing red alarm siren blared across the monitors.
