Chapter 6 - The Ghost of the Past
By nightfall, the Rossi estate was turned into an impenetrable fortress. Extra guards were posted every ten yards along the stone walls, and searchlights swept the surrounding forest.
I was moved to Lorenzo’s private master suite—the safest room in the house, built with reinforced concrete walls and bulletproof glass windows.
I sat on the edge of the massive king-sized bed, feeding Leo in the soft glow of a bedside lamp. The baby was thriving now, his tiny hands resting against my arm, his color fully restored.
The bedroom door opened softly, and Lorenzo walked in.
He had showered and changed into a crisp dark shirt, though he looked visibly exhausted. He walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge beside me. He looked down at his son, then raised his eyes to meet mine.
“My men captured Dante’s lieutenants at the border,” Lorenzo said quietly. “Dante is trapped in the city. It’s only a matter of hours before we find him.”
I nodded slowly, looking down at the quiet baby. “I’m glad he can’t hurt Leo anymore.”
Lorenzo was silent for a long moment. He reached out, his long fingers gently touching the silver chain around my neck—a chain holding a small, silver heart locket.
“You never told me about your past, Elena,” Lorenzo said softly. “Before you came to work here.”
A sharp lump formed in my throat. I lowered my gaze, feeling the old, heavy weight of grief returning to my chest.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I whispered. “My life before was a mistake.”
“I ran a background check on you this afternoon,” Lorenzo revealed gently, his voice devoid of anger, filled only with a deep, unexpected sympathy. “Marcus Vance—your ex-boyfriend. He’s a low-level bookie in the East District.”
I stiffened, terror rushing through me. “Lorenzo, please... he’s dangerous. He owes money to bad people—”
“He was dangerous,” Lorenzo corrected softly, taking my hand in his. “He pushed you down the stairs when you were eight months pregnant. He killed your daughter.”
Tears spilled over my eyelashes, falling onto my lap. I couldn't speak; the pain was too raw, too deep.
“Marcus came to my gates two hours ago,” Lorenzo continued, his dark eyes flashing with a cold, terrifying light. “He found out you were working here. He wanted to use your location to bargain with Dante’s men to clear his gambling debts.”
I gasped, clutching Leo closer. “Is he... is he here?!”
Lorenzo reached out, his hand gently cupping my chin, forcing me to look into his intense, unyielding eyes.
“Marcus will never lay a hand on you again, Elena,” Lorenzo stated cleanly. “I dealt with him myself. He will spend the rest of his miserable life in a federal prison for manslaughter and extortion. He will never see the light of day.”
I stared at Lorenzo, my chest heaving as the weight of four years of fear suddenly washed away. The monster who had haunted my nightmares, who had stolen my baby girl and shattered my life, was finally gone.
“Why did you do that for me?” I choked out through my tears.
May you like
Lorenzo leaned in closer, his thumb gently wiping away the tears streaming down my cheek.
“Because you gave me my son back,” Lorenzo whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “And because you belong to this house now. No one hurts what is mine.”
