Chapter 3 - THE CONFESSION IN THE STUDY
Fifteen minutes later, I stood deep inside Alessandro’s private study, the heavy double doors securely bolted from the inside. Lily was safely locked upstairs in the nursery under the watchful eye of a trusted nanny I knew wasn't on Marco’s payroll.
Alessandro looked up from his massive desk, clear irritation flashing across his sharp features. "Elena, I thought I instructed you specifically not to—"
"Mr. Romano," I interrupted, my voice trembling wildly with adrenaline yet cutting through the air like a blade. I slid the brown prescription bottle across the polished wood, placing it dead center on his ledger. I had swiped it directly from Marco’s unattended coat pocket in the hallway while he was distracted on a phone call.
Alessandro stared down at the small glass container, his thick brow furrowing in confusion. "What is the meaning of this? This is my morning prescription."
"It is not your medication anymore," I said, hot tears of fear stinging my eyes. "Or at least, it hasn't been for a very long time. Marco Bellini has been tampering with it. Lily saw him pouring unprescribed chemicals into it upstairs today."
Alessandro’s face went deadly, terrifyingly still. The atmospheric temperature in the room instantly dropped ten degrees. The aura of a ruthless mafia boss—long dormant, buried beneath years of physical disability and profound grief—exploded back to life.
"You are accusing my brother of three years," Alessandro said, each word falling like a block of ice. "Do you have any remote idea what you are saying to me?"
"I know he is the one who orchestrated the bombing," I blurted out, the words tearing their way past my lips.
The silence that followed was absolute. The grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner, marking the seconds of a collapsing world.
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Alessandro gripped the armrests of his wheelchair so hard the leather groaned. "Repeat that."
"Think about it," I pleaded, stepping closer. "Who knew the security codes? Who managed the family car’s maintenance? Who seized total control of your empire the second you woke up? Marco stayed to finish the job."
