Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Penthouse
The sound of sudden, heavy footsteps echoed outside the corridor before the study doors swung open without a knock. Marco Rossi, Alessandro’s chief of operations and his most ruthless enforcer, stepped inside with a tablet in hand. Marco’s sharp grey eyes swept across the room, taking in Isabella’s defensive posture and the sleeping child before landing squarely on his boss.
"Boss, we have an issue downstairs," Marco said, his tone clipped and urgent. "Senator Hayes just arrived with Victor Castillo. Victor brought four armed bodyguards who refused to leave their pieces at the security gate. He says he wants an immediate sit-down regarding the South Side logistics contracts before the main toast."
Alessandro didn't take his eyes off Isabella. "Tell Victor that if his men touch their holsters on my property, they leave in a refrigerated truck. Put them in the library and make them wait."
"Understood," Marco replied, but he hesitated, his gaze lingering suspiciously on Isabella. "Who is she? Do you want security to escort her out through the service elevator? With Castillo in the house, any unidentified guest in the private quarters is a liability."
"She stays," Alessandro commanded, the authority in his voice leaving no room for argument. "No one enters this wing without my direct authorization. If a single person walks up those stairs, Marco, you pull the trigger first and ask questions later."
Marco’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he bowed his head and backed out, pulling the heavy double doors shut until the latch clicked firmly. The brief interruption gave Isabella a fleeting moment of clarity. She looked around the cavernous room, searching for an exit, but the heavy drapes covered reinforced bulletproof glass, and the only doorway was now guarded by men trained to kill on command.
"You can't keep us here," Isabella said, her voice rising with desperate fury. "I am an American citizen, Alessandro. You can't kidnap a mother and her baby just because of a delusion."
"You're not kidnapped, Isabella. You're protected," Alessandro replied, stepping closer until she could feel the heat radiating from his broad chest. "Do you think I don't know who has been watching your apartment in Pilsen? Do you think I'm blind to the black sedans idling across the street from the diner where you take double shifts just to buy infant formula?"
Isabella froze, the blood draining completely from her cheeks. For the past six weeks, she had noticed those tinted vehicles. She had convinced herself it was just urban paranoia, the phantom fears of an exhausted single mother raising a newborn on minimum wage. But hearing it from Alessandro’s lips made the terror real, chilling her to the bone.
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"Who is watching me?" she breathed, clutching Sophie closer as the baby nestled against her neck.
"Men who want to bury the Moretti lineage once and for all," Alessandro replied grimly. "And someone inside my inner circle told them exactly where to look."
