Chapter 2 - The Interrogation Room
The subterranean basement of the Moretti estate was constructed of solid reinforced concrete and thick granite, built fifty feet beneath the marble floors of the ballroom. It was a place designed to keep secrets buried forever.
In the central holding cell, Sophia sat bound to a heavy wooden chair by leather restraints. A single halogen bulb hung from the ceiling, casting harsh, pale light over her bruised wrists and tear-stained face.
The heavy steel door groaned open.
Aleandro walked in alone. He had removed his suit jacket, rolling the sleeves of his white crisp shirt up to his forearms. In his right arm, he carried Emma, who was sound asleep, her head resting peacefully on his shoulder, clutching her bent-eared stuffed rabbit.
Sophia looked up, her breath catching in her throat as she saw her daughter safe in his arms.
"Emma..." Sophia sobbed softly. "Is she... is she hurt? Did they hurt her?"
"She is safe," Aleandro said quietly, setting Emma down on a soft leather sofa positioned in the corner of the room, covering her with his tailored wool jacket. He stood over Sophia, his expression unreadable.
"Why didn't you tell me, Sophia?" Aleandro asked, his voice dangerously calm. "Four years. You lived in a basement apartment three blocks from my harbor office. You cleaned my floors for two years. You watched me walk past you every single day."
Sophia swallowed hard, her chest heaving. "Look at what you do, Aleandro! Look at this room! Look at the men who shoot at your car! Look at Carmine Romano! I wanted my daughter to grow up with bread on the table and sunshine on her face, not with bodyguards and sniper scopes trained on her bedroom window!"
"She is a Moretti," Aleandro said firmly.
"She is a child!" Sophia fired back, her eyes burning with fierce maternal courage. "She was happy with her light-up shoes and her broken rabbit! If Carmine Romano finds out who she really is, he will kill her to avenge Valentina!"
Aleandro stepped closer, leaning down until his dark eyes were inches from hers. "Valentina was not the target tonight, Sophia."
Sophia blinked, startled. "What?"
"The champagne tray from which Valentina drank was brought directly from my private vault," Aleandro revealed, his voice dropping to a whisper. "It was poured specifically for me. Valentina was impatient. She wanted to toast early. She took my glass."
Sophia’s mouth fell open. "The poison... was meant for you?"
"Yes," Aleandro said. "Someone in this house tried to assassinate me tonight. And they used you as the perfect pawn to take the blame."
Before Sophia could respond, the heavy iron door burst open.
Richard Drake stepped inside, his tactical vest loaded with spare magazines. His face was tense.
"Don Aleandro, we have a problem," Drake reported quickly. "Carmine Romano has mobilized eighty of his enforcers outside the front gates. He’s claiming that since Valentina was murdered on your grounds by your employee, he has the legal and syndicate right to take Sophia into his custody for trial."
"Carmine is an idiot driven by grief," Aleandro said coldly. "Tell him to fall back to his territory."
"He won't, boss," Drake warned, glancing at Sophia. "And there's more. The toxicology report from our private coroner just came back. The cyanide wasn't in the champagne liquid itself."
Aleandro’s eyes narrowed. "Where was it?"
"It was coated on the outer rim of the crystal glass," Drake said. "Specifically on the glass marked with a microscopic gold band—the glass designated for you."
Sophia gasped. "Only two people had access to the private bar tonight before the party! The head steward, Marco... and Miss Romano’s personal assistant, Isabella!"
Aleandro turned his head slowly toward Drake. "Find Marco. Find Isabella. Bring them to the wine cellar."
"Right away, boss," Drake said, turning to leave.
"Wait," Aleandro commanded. He reached down and unbuckled the leather straps binding Sophia’s wrists.
Sophia looked up in shock, rubbing her red, chafed skin.
"Take Emma up to the third-floor master suite," Aleandro told her, his voice softening slightly. "There are six armed guards outside the door. Nobody enters without my personal passphrase. Keep her safe."
Sophia stood up, shaking on her feet. She looked at Aleandro, the man she had feared and loved in equal measure for four long years.
"Aleandro..." she whispered. "Who tried to kill you?"
May you like
Aleandro looked down at the dark stain of dried champagne on his sleeve.
"Someone who knew I was about to change my will," Aleandro replied grimly. "Someone who knew that if I died tonight without an heir, the entire Moretti empire would fall into the hands of the Romano family."
