Chapter 2 - The Master's Wrath
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Mrs. Gable spun around, all the color draining from her face as she saw the master of the house standing in the doorway. Her cruel demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by panicked fawning.
"Mr. Moretti! I apologize for the disruption," she stammered, stepping away from Nora. "This clumsy girl dropped one of your antique candelabras. I was simply disciplining her. Good help is so difficult to find these days, sir."
Lorenzo didn't look at Mrs. Gable. His eyes were locked on Nora, who was still curled on the floor, breathing in short, ragged gasps.
He crossed the dining room in three massive strides. He didn't yell. He didn't order his guards. He dropped to his knees right there on the marble floor next to the fallen maid.
"Are you hurt?" Lorenzo asked, his voice surprisingly gentle, completely contradicting his terrifying reputation.
"My stomach," Nora whimpered, tears spilling down her pale cheeks. "It hurts so much."
Lorenzo looked up, his gray eyes turning entirely dead as they fixed on the housekeeper.
"You struck a pregnant woman," Lorenzo stated. It wasn't a question.
"She broke your property, sir!" Mrs. Gable defended herself frantically. "She is lazy and disobedient!"
"You struck a pregnant woman in my house," Lorenzo repeated, standing up slowly. The air in the room felt incredibly dangerous.
"Guards," Lorenzo said softly.
Two massive men in dark suits immediately stepped into the dining room.
"Take Mrs. Gable to the basement," Lorenzo ordered without a shred of emotion. "Keep her there until I decide what to do with her."
"Mr. Moretti, no! Please! I was only trying to maintain standards!" Mrs. Gable shrieked, thrashing wildly as the two large men grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out of the room.
Lorenzo ignored her screams. He turned back to Nora, kneeling down again.
"Can you stand?" he asked gently.
"I... I think so," Nora gasped, trying to push herself up.
"Don't," Lorenzo commanded softly.
Before Nora could protest, the most feared mafia boss on the East Coast carefully slid his arms under her back and knees, lifting her effortlessly from the cold marble floor.
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"I've got you," he murmured.
Nora was completely stunned, her head resting against his broad chest as he carried her out of the dining room and toward the grand staircase. She had expected him to be a monster. Instead, he was the only person in the house who had offered her mercy.
