Chapter 3 - Blood and Shadows
By 2:00 AM, the grand ballroom of the Moretti estate was empty of guests, but surrounded by heavily armed private security personnel. The high-society elite had been quietly escorted out after signing ironclad non-disclosure agreements enforced by a legal team that could ruin a senator overnight.
In the master penthouse wing of the mansion, three floors above the subterranean holding rooms, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The room was soft, warm, and scented with lavender.
Emma sat on an enormous velvet sofa, happily chewing on a warm chocolate chip cookie while drinking a glass of milk. She was wrapped in an oversized cashmere blanket that belonged to Alessandro.
Elena sat beside her, holding a warm cup of chamomile tea, her hands still trembling slightly.
The door opened silently. Alessandro stepped into the room.
He had discarded his tuxedo jacket and black tie. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing dark ink tattoos detailing the Moretti family crest and traditional Italian crests along his skin.
He stopped near the doorway, suddenly looking hesitant—a strange sight for a man who controlled a multi-billion-dollar shipping and finance empire.
“She’s not afraid of you,” Elena said softly, breaking the silence.
Alessandro looked at Emma. The little girl wiped a crumb from her chin and looked up at him with those bright, piercing blue eyes.
“Should she be?” Alessandro asked softly. “I spent three years walking past her in the hallway while she carried my blood. I called her ‘the maid’s child.’ God help me, Elena…” He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the doorframe, a dark line of pain cutting across his handsome features. “I failed both of you before I even knew you existed.”
“You didn't know,” Elena said quietly, setting her tea down. “Lorenzo played us all. When you were in that coma after the crash, he managed your power of attorney. He arranged the surrogate program at St. Jude’s under the guise of an estate continuity plan, keeping your DNA on file. He brought me in because my medical history was flawless and I was an orphan with no family to come looking for me.”
Alessandro walked across the room with heavy, deliberate steps. He sank onto his knees in front of the sofa, bringing his eyes level with little Emma.
The feared godfather of the Moretti family looked fragile.
“Hello, Emma,” Alessandro said, his voice dropping into a tender tone no living person had ever heard him use.
Emma blinked, holding out a half-eaten cookie toward him. “Do you want a bite? Mommy says sharing makes your heart bigger.”
A choked sound escaped Alessandro’s throat. A single, heavy tear escaped his dark lashes, rolling down his chiseled cheek. He took a tiny bite of the cookie.
“It’s delicious,” Alessandro whispered, touching her tiny cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Thank you, little one.”
He looked up at Elena, his expression hardening into dark obsidian.
“Vanessa is talking,” Alessandro said quietly. “My men downstairs didn't even have to use force. The moment she realized her offshore bank accounts were frozen, she gave up everyone.”
Elena leaned forward. “Who was behind it?”
“Lorenzo,” Alessandro replied, his jaw tight. “My uncle knew that if I died in that crash three years ago, the estate would pass to his branch of the family unless I had a direct heir. When I survived the coma, he needed a way to control the heir. You were too independent, Elena. You weren't a socialite he could bribe or blackmail. So he planned to take Emma, raise her under Vanessa’s name, and eliminate you once the child turned three and the trust activated.”
Elena shuddered, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “And the fake pregnancy?”
“Vanessa was supposed to ‘give birth’ next month at a private clinic in Zurich,” Alessandro explained, his voice laced with cold fury. “Lorenzo had arranged to buy an infant from an illegal adoption ring in Eastern Europe to pass off as mine, while keeping Emma hidden in a safehouse as blackmail material against me in case I ever tried to remove him from the board.”
“He treated my daughter like a bargaining chip,” Elena spat, her eyes flashing with dangerous anger.
“He did,” Alessandro agreed, rising to his full height. He looked down at Elena, his gaze shifting into something possessive, protective, and absolute. “But Lorenzo made one fatal mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He forgot that a Moretti never lets anyone touch what belongs to him,” Alessandro said smoothly. “Tomorrow morning, the Moretti board meets at eight o’clock. Lorenzo thinks he still holds thirty percent of the voting shares. He doesn't know Vanessa gave up the Swiss ledger keys.”
Alessandro stepped closer to Elena, reaching out to gently touch the edge of her navy housekeeper collar.
“You’re taking off this uniform tonight, Elena,” he commanded softly. “You and Emma are moving into the master suite. You will never clean another floor, sweep another step, or bow your head to anyone in this city ever again.”
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“Alessandro, I don't want your money,” Elena insisted, pulling back slightly. “I just want my daughter safe.”
“You are her mother,” Alessandro said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Which means you are the mother of the Moretti heir. Anyone who wants to harm her will have to go through me first. And to do that, they have to survive.”
