Chapter 5 - The Hunt in the Storm
The rain lashed against the windshield of Lorenzo’s armored SUV as it tore down the dark, winding coastal roads of Long Island.
Ten minutes earlier, the estate had descended into absolute chaos. Vincent Russo had realized the recording was discovered and tried to flee the estate grounds. Lorenzo’s loyal lieutenants had cut him down before he reached the perimeter gates. Vivian Bellini was currently locked in the estate’s basement holding cells, awaiting the arrival of her father, who would be forced to watch his empire dismantled brick by brick for his daughter’s treason.
But Lorenzo cared nothing about empires, money, or revenge right now.
His mind was consumed by a single, terrifying thought: A three-year-old child with an empty medicine bottle, wandering out in a freezing torrential rainstorm.
“Drive faster!” Lorenzo snarled at his driver, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“Boss, the visibility is zero! The roads are flooding!”
“I said drive!”
Sophia had no car. She had no money left. The nearest bus station was four miles away along a dark, unlit highway bordered by dense woods and steep drainage ditches.
Two miles down the highway, Sophia was collapsing under the weight of the storm.
The wind ripped at her thin jacket. She carried Emma wrapped tightly in her arms, pressing the toddler against her chest to shield her from the biting cold. Emma’s skin was burning hot with a sudden fever, but her small hands were ice-cold.
“Mama...” Emma whimpered, her voice barely a whisper against the roaring wind. “My heart... it feels... like a noisy bird.”
“Hold on, baby,” Sophia sobbed, her tears mixing with the freezing rain. “Mama’s got you. Just hold on. We’re almost at the station.”
Emma’s head slumped weakly against Sophia’s shoulder. She tapped Sophia’s neck weakly with one small finger. “Mama... did I do good? Did I guard Sister’s heart?”
“Yes, my sweet girl. You did so good. You’re the bravest girl in the world.”
Sophia’s foot slipped on the muddy embankment. She tumbled down the slick grass slope, landing hard at the bottom of a dark ravine. She instantly twisted her body in mid-air, taking the entire force of the impact on her shoulder and back to protect Emma from the drop.
Pain shot through Sophia’s spine, but she scrambled to her feet, holding Emma close. Emma wasn't crying anymore. Her eyes were half-closed, her lips taking in shallow, struggling breaths.
“No, no, no! Emma! Open your eyes!” Sophia screamed, clutching her daughter. “Help! Somebody help us!”
Above the ravine, high beams pierced through the sheet of rain.
Tires screeched to a halt on the asphalt. Heavy doors slammed shut.
Lorenzo sprinted toward the edge of the ravine, his tailored suit completely ruined by the mud and water, his hair soaked. Behind him, three armed guards held powerful searchlights, illuminating the dark pit.
“SOPHIA!” Lorenzo’s voice thundered across the valley.
Sophia looked up through the blinding light, terrified that Vincent had been sent to finish them off. She pulled Emma behind her, using her own body as a shield. “Don't touch her! Stay away from my baby!”
Lorenzo didn't hesitate. He slid down the muddy ravine slope, tumbling down until he hit the bottom. He scrambled up immediately, throwing himself on his knees in front of Sophia.
He saw the raw terror in her eyes. He saw the child limp in her arms.
“Sophia... forgive me,” Lorenzo choked out, a billionaire boss humbled, broken, and begging. “I know the truth. I found the recording. I know what they did to you.”
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Sophia stared at him, shaking violently. “She... she ran out of medicine, Mr. Moretti. Her heart... it’s stopping...”
Lorenzo didn't waste another second speaking. He reached out, lifted both mother and child into his arms with massive strength, and carried them up the slick ravine slope through the sheer force of willpower.
