Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Glass House
Lorenzo did not allow Elena to return to the servant quarters. Within an hour, under the bewildered stares of the domestic staff, Elena and Mia were moved to the penthouse suite located on the east wing of the estate—the floor reserved exclusively for the Don.
Elena stood in the middle of the sprawling suite, feeling entirely out of place amidst the Italian silk draperies, marble fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the illuminated gardens. Mia was already passed out on a king-sized bed that could easily accommodate six people, hugging a goose-down pillow.
“You don't have to do this,” Elena said as Lorenzo entered the suite, having discarded his suit jacket and loosened his tie. The white shirt strained against his broad shoulders and muscular chest.
“This is the only secure sector of the mansion,” Lorenzo replied, walking over to the balcony doors to inspect the reinforced locks. “Carmine’s men have ears everywhere. The moment Bianca saw you here, the countdown began. She will report to her father that I am harboring a servant and a child. Carmine is paranoid; he will investigate your background.”
“My papers are clean,” Elena insisted, crossing her arms defensively beneath her full bust.
Lorenzo’s gaze dipped briefly to the movement, heat flaring in his dark eyes before he met her gaze with ruthless clarity. “No forged paper survives a forensic syndicate sweep, Elena. Carmine will find Mateo’s blood in that little girl’s face within forty-eight hours.”
The reality of their peril settled over Elena like a cold shroud. “Then what do we do?”
“We change the narrative,” Lorenzo said, walking toward her until only a sliver of space remained between them. The scent of him—expensive cedarwood, bourbon, and clean linen—enveloped her senses, making her head spin. “To the world, you are no longer Elena Cruz, the maid. Nor are you Mateo Rivera’s widow.”
“Then who am I?”
Lorenzo reached out, his thumb gently brushing across her lower lip, sending a shiver cascading down her spine. “You are my fiancée. And Mia is my acknowledged daughter.”
Elena gasped, stepping back. “Are you insane? They will never believe that! You are the Don of the Moretti family! You don't just produce a secret family out of thin air!”
“They will believe it because they fear me,” Lorenzo said, his voice vibrating with absolute authority. “And because a Don with a legitimate heir and a passionate obsession with his woman is a man no one dares challenge lightly. Carmine wants my throne. If he thinks I have an heir, his moves will become desperate, sloppy. He will show his hand.”
“You’re using us as bait,” Elena said, her voice trembling with hurt.
Lorenzo’s expression hardened, and he closed the distance between them in an instant, gripping her hips with large, possessive hands. Elena gasped at the sudden intimacy, her curves pressed flush against his hard, unyielding frame.
May you like
“Listen to me carefully, Elena,” Lorenzo whispered against her temple, his breath warm and intoxicating. “I swore an oath to Mateo that I would protect his blood with my life. But looking at you right now, I know that even without that oath, I would burn this entire city to ash before I let anyone harm a single hair on your head. You are not bait. You are my fortress. And I will defend you until my last breath.”
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