Chapter 3 - The Cold Kitchen in Naples
The address Matteo dug up led to a dingy, run-down apartment block on the outskirts of Naples. The paint was peeling from the walls, and the streetlights flickered against the damp concrete. It was the kind of place where people hid when they had nowhere else to go and no money left to pay.
I parked the car in the shadows, stepped out into the biting wind, and walked up the three flights of creaking wooden stairs. Room 304.
I didn't knock. I turned the handle—Salvo had taught his people well, leaving doors unlocked for quick escapes—and pushed it open.
The room smelled of cheap instant noodles and damp laundry. In the corner, huddled beneath a thin, moth-eaten blanket on a sagging mattress, was four-year-old Nora. Her dark curls were tangled, and her face was stained with dried tears. Beside her sat Elena, her eyes red and hollow, staring blankly at the wall.
When the door clicked, Elena flinched like a trapped animal, throwing her arms protectively around Nora.
"Don't—please, we have nothing left," Elena whispered, her voice cracking. "Salvo took—"
She stopped dead as she saw my face under the harsh yellow light of the hallway bulb.
"Mr. Nicolo?" she breathed, disbelief washing over her exhausted features.
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The floorboards groaned under my shoes. I knelt down beside the mattress, ignoring the dust and the chill in the air.
Nora peeked out from behind her mother's arm. Her eyes widened, recognizing the tall man from the study.
"Uncle Nico," she whispered, her voice small and trembling. "You came."
"I told you I would," I said softly. I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the small gold lion signet ring, holding it up so she could see it glinting in the dim light. "A castle built on truth never falls, Nora. Do you understand?"
She nodded slowly, a tiny, brave smile breaking through her tears.
I looked up at Elena, whose hands were still shaking. "Salvo lied. The whole house knows it now. Pack your things; you're coming home with me."
May you like
"Nico, he has men everywhere," Elena protested, tears spilling over her lashes. "He said if I told anyone, he'd—"
"Salvo won't be saying anything to anyone by sunrise," I interrupted, my tone cutting through the cold air like a blade.
