Chapter 4 - The Truth Revealed
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The medical suite on the second floor of the Moretti mansion smelled of sterile alcohol and warm blankets. Lorenzo pushed the heavy oak doors open, ignoring the murmurs of the elite guests down in the ballroom who were wondering where their host had gone. Elvira walked quietly behind him, flanked by Rocco and two armed guards. Isabella trailed behind them, her face pale, her desperate protests growing shriller with every step.
“Lorenzo, you cannot possibly take the word of a low-class catering girl over the woman you are about to marry!” Isabella pleaded, reaching for his arm.
Lorenzo pulled his arm away as if her touch burned him. He walked to the edge of the large medical bed.
Leo and Mia were huddled together under a mountain of heated blankets. Mia was fast asleep, her breathing shallow but steady. Leo was awake. The six-year-old boy looked incredibly small, his face still pale, his dark eyes wide with lingering terror.
Lorenzo dropped to his knees beside the bed. The terrifying mafia boss disappeared, replaced by an uncle whose heart was breaking. He gently took Leo’s small, freezing hand in his own.
“Leo,” Lorenzo whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “Are you hurt?”
Leo shook his head weakly. “I’m okay, Uncle Enzo. I kept Mia warm.”
“You did a good job,” Lorenzo murmured, kissing the boy's knuckles. “Can you tell me what happened? Who put you in the cold room?”
Isabella took a step forward, her eyes wide with panic. “Leo, sweetheart, you were playing a game, weren't you? You got lost—”
“Shut your mouth,” Lorenzo roared, the sound vibrating the windows. He turned back to the boy. “Tell me the truth, Leo. Nobody is going to hurt you. I swear it on my life.”
Leo’s eyes darted past Lorenzo. He looked at Isabella, shrinking back against the pillows in fear. Then, slowly, the boy raised a trembling finger and pointed directly at the beautiful blonde woman in the silver gown.
“She said we were playing hide-and-seek,” Leo whispered. “But then she locked the door. I banged on it, but she wouldn't let us out.”
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The room went completely, suffocatingly silent.
Lorenzo slowly stood up from the floor. He turned to face Isabella. The man who had shown tenderness only seconds ago was gone. In his place stood the devil of Chicago.
