Chapter 4 - The Snake in the Garden
At dawn, the storm subsided, leaving the estate grounds drenched and glistening under a cold sun. Chiara Valli sat in the glass conservatory, sipping tea, unaware that Marco’s men had already severed her private satellite phone line and detained her personal chauffeur.
Renzo entered the conservatory alone, stepping quietly over the marble tiles. He did not carry a weapon; he did not need one. The weight of truth was far more devastating than steel.
"You look rested, Chiara," Renzo said, taking a seat across from her.
Chiara smiled elegantly, placing her porcelain cup on its saucer. "I slept as well as could be expected given last night’s strange drama. Have the staff properly disposed of that child, or sent him to an orphanage?"
"He is upstairs, sleeping in the nursery that has been locked for six years," Renzo replied smoothly. "And Dr. Vance is currently in the custody of my men at an airfield outside the city. He was remarkably talkative once he realized he was no longer protected by your family's money."
Chiara’s smile faltered, her knuckles turning white around her napkin. "Renzo, I don't know what lies that disgraced doctor told you, but—"
"He didn't just talk, Chiara," Renzo interrupted, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "He provided the medical logs. He provided the bank account records. He explained how my wife’s labor was deliberately induced prematurely, how my firstborn son was stolen from my arms and kept in a secure facility in Geneva, and how you brought his newborn brother here last night to be discarded when your plan to control my bloodline began to crumble."
Chiara stood up abruptly, knocking her tea cup to the floor where it shattered into fragments. "You need the Valli syndicate! Without our political connections, your empire will be torn apart by the rival families in the north! You are nothing without us!"
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"I built this empire on loyalty and strength," Renzo said, standing to face her. "You built yours on lies and the theft of children. You are stripped of your standing, your assets within this territory are seized, and if you ever set foot near my family again, not even your father’s army will save you."
Marco stepped into the conservatory with four armed guards, quietly escorting Chiara out of the house.
