Chapter 11 - The Secret in the Shadows
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Adrian stood up, his massive frame shielding Liya from his uncle's view.
"Tell the Commission to go to hell," Adrian growled. "I am not surrendering my fiancée."
"You are a fool!" Lorenzo shouted, his face turning red. "You are sacrificing our entire empire for a waitress! I won't allow it, Adrian. The family comes first."
"I am the head of this family," Adrian roared, stepping into Lorenzo's personal space. "And if you ever question my authority again, Uncle, I will strip you of your rank and exile you to Sicily. Now get out of my penthouse."
Lorenzo sneered, his eyes filled with venom. He turned on his heel and stormed out, his guards following closely behind.
Liya sat up in the medical bed, ignoring the dull ache in her shoulder. "Adrian, he's right. You can't fight all five families. I'm putting a target on your back."
"You are my target," Adrian said, sitting back down beside her. "I have men mobilizing as we speak. We hit the Romanov warehouses tonight. We cripple their supply lines."
Later that evening, after the doctor cleared Liya to return to the main living area, she walked softly down the hallway to check on her mother.
Eleanor was sitting up in bed, reading a book. She looked healthier than she had in months, the high-end private treatments working miracles.
"Liya, sweetie," Eleanor smiled, closing her book. "Come sit."
Liya sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling, Mom?"
"Much better," Eleanor said. She paused, looking at Liya with a seriousness that made Liya's stomach drop. "Adrian is a very dangerous man, isn't he?"
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"Mom, I—"
"Don't lie to me, Liya," Eleanor interrupted softly. "I saw his tattoo when he carried you in last night. The black lion. I know who the Moretti family is. And I know you are in terrible danger."
