Chapter 6 - Shadows of the Past
The assassin’s words hung in the winter air like poison. Your bloodline.
I ordered Marco to take the assassin to the basement facility, but my mind was already racing. The Moretti bloodline was small. My father had passed away five years ago, leaving me the sole heir to the syndicate. My mother had died when I was a child. The only living relative I had left was my uncle, Mateo Moretti—a man who had retired to a private estate in Miami six years ago after losing a power struggle against my father.
I returned to my study, Nero following close behind. His gait was steady, his protection of me absolute.
I pulled up the encrypted communication logs from Mateo’s Miami residence. For months, the lines had shown standard activity—occasional calls to estate lawyers, medical consults, routine banking. But when I cross-referenced the encryption codes found on the drive Elsie had discovered in Nero’s collar, a horrifying truth emerged.
Mateo wasn't retired. He had forged a secret alliance with Victor Valenti years ago.
It was Mateo who provided the internal codes to my security system. It was Mateo who had orchestrated the placement of Julian the accountant. And it was Mateo who intended to wipe out my estate, reclaim the Moretti empire, and rule Chicago alongside the Valentis.
A soft knock at the study door broke my focus.
Sienna pushed the door open slightly, holding a tray with fresh black coffee and a plate of biscuits. Elsie peeked out from behind her mother’s skirt, holding a drawn picture of a giant black dog with yellow crayon eyes.
"Don Alessio," Sienna said softly, noticing the dark aura hanging over the room. "The guards said there was an incident in the garden. Are you alright?"
I looked at the young mother and her child. They had come into my dark, brutal world by accident, yet they were now the only light in it. If that explosive had gone off at 6:00 PM...
"I am fine, Sienna," I said, my tone softening as I gestured for them to enter. "Come in."
Elsie ran straight to Nero, dropping to her knees to show him the drawing. "Look, Nero! It’s you! You have big ears!"
Nero sniffed the paper, nudging Elsie’s shoulder with his nose, making her erupt into a fit of high-pitched giggles.
Sienna set the coffee on my desk, her eyes searching my face with deep concern. "You look troubled, Alessio. More than usual."
It was the first time she had dropped the formal title of 'Don'. It felt natural, grounded, real.
"My uncle has betrayed us," I confessed, looking out the grand window at the gathering storm. "He aligned with Victor Valenti. He wants this house, this throne."
Sienna stepped closer, her hand hovering over mine before she gathered the courage to gently rest her fingers on my sleeve.
"You protected us when we had nothing," Sienna said softly, her voice filled with unwavering faith. "You gave us a home, respect, and safety. Whatever comes, Alessio, you won't face it alone. This house stands with you."
May you like
I looked at her hand on my sleeve, then up at her honest, warm eyes. In a world built on deceit, bloodshed, and shifting alliances, this maid and her little girl had given me something I hadn't possessed in decades: a true family.
"They won't touch this home, Sienna," I promised, reaching over to gently clasp her hand. "I will end this once and for all."
