Chapter 4
News of the sudden, drastic changes within the private wing of the Moretti estate spread through the household staff like wildfire, though no one dared to speak of it openly. Within twenty-four hours, Sophia and Emma had been relocated from the cramped, basement staff quarters to the grand guest wing on the second floor—a suite of rooms decorated in cream silk, gold leaf, and plush carpets, overlooking the estate’s private rose gardens.
Sophia sat on the edge of a mahogany four-poster bed, watching Emma happily arrange a collection of brand-new stuffed animals that had been delivered to their room by Alessandro’s personal assistants earlier that morning. Emma wore a fresh pale-yellow dress, her golden-blonde curly hair tied neatly with her yellow ribbon and tiny white flowers, her rosy cheeks glowing with pure, unadulterated joy.
Yet, despite the luxurious surroundings and the exquisite meals served to them, Sophia felt an underlying current of fear. She knew that in the Mafia underworld, sudden luxury often came at a terrifying price.
A soft knock sounded at the door before it swung open. Alessandro wheeled himself into the room. He wore his signature tailored black suit, his partially unbuttoned white shirt revealing his chest tattoos, his thick black hair neatly slicked back.
Beside him walked Dr. Julian Vance—not a member of the rival family, but Alessandro’s trusted private physician who had cared for him since the ambush.
"Sophia," Alessandro acknowledged, nodding smoothly as he stopped near the bed. "Dr. Vance is here to conduct a routine checkup on Emma. I want to ensure she is in absolute perfect health."
Sophia stood up quickly, her maid uniform replaced by a simple, elegant navy dress provided by the estate. "She's healthy, Mr. Moretti. I've always taken her to the public clinic for her vaccines."
"Public clinics are no longer necessary," Alessandro stated firmly, his gray eyes lingering on her. "She has the finest medical care in the country from this moment forward."
Dr. Vance, a kind, elderly man with spectacles, smiled warmly as he knelt beside Emma, examining her ears, throat, and pulse while Emma giggled and showed him her stuffed bear.
While the doctor attended to the little girl, Alessandro gestured for Sophia to step out onto the balcony with him.
The cool autumn air rustled the leaves of the oak trees below as Alessandro wheeled himself out onto the stone terrace. Sophia followed, resting her hands against the carved stone railing, looking out over the vast, fortified estate.
"The men who ambushed me four months ago," Alessandro began, his voice dropping into a dark, serious register, "they belong to the Falcone syndicate from New York. They believe I am crippled, weak, and incapable of leading Chicago."
Sophia looked down at him, her heart heavy. "Are you... are you safe here, Alessandro?"
It was the first time she had called him by his first name since entering the mansion. Alessandro looked up at her, his piercing gray eyes softening almost imperceptibly at the sound of his name on her lips.
"I am safe because my men are loyal," Alessandro replied, his sharp jaw tightening. "But Falcone is making moves to challenge my borders. He knows I survived the dock shooting, but he doesn't know my exact physical condition. He thinks I am a broken man waiting to be put down."
"And are you?" Sophia asked courageously, her brown eyes searching his rugged face. "A broken man?"
Alessandro looked out over his empire, then back at the glass door where three-year-old Emma was laughing with the doctor. A dark, powerful resolve ignited in the depths of his gray eyes—a fire that had been extinguished on the night he lost the use of his legs.
"I was," Alessandro admitted softly, his voice rough with honesty. "For four months, I sat in this chair, waiting for my enemies to come and finish the job. I felt empty. I felt like a ghost haunting my own house."
He reached out, his heavily tattooed hand gently taking Sophia’s hand where it rested on the stone railing. His fair skin was warm, his touch possessively gentle.
May you like
"But then a fearless little girl walked into my office with a plate of butter cookies," Alessandro continued, his gray eyes locking onto Sophia's with breathtaking intensity. "She gave me a reason to fight again, Sophia. And I swear to you, I will burn New York to ashes before I let anyone harm either of you."
Sophia felt her breath hitch in her throat. The terrifying Mafia boss who struck fear into the hearts of hardened criminals was looking at her with a fierce, absolute devotion that made her heart leap in her chest.
