Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary Wing
By 4:00 AM, Hunter had been moved from the cramped servants' quarters in the basement to the lavish guest suite directly adjacent to Lorenzo’s private master quarters on the top floor.
Two armed guards stood outside her door. Inside, a custom nursery setup had been moved in within thirty minutes. Leo slept soundly in a wooden cradle beside Hunter’s king-sized bed.
Hunter sat on the edge of the mattress, wrapped in a plush bathrobe provided by the staff, staring at the golden ringlets of the sleeping baby. Her mind was racing. Three weeks ago, she had been a homeless, grieving wreck in a public clinic, mourning her daughter Lily after Travis Cole had destroyed her life. Now, she was hidden away in the heart of the most dangerous syndicate in New England, holding the key to a billionaire’s line of succession.
A quiet knock sounded at the adjoining door before it swung open.
Lorenzo walked in. He had discarded his suit jacket, wearing only a black dress shirt with the top buttons undone. His dark hair was slightly messy, and his jaw was set like granite.
“He’s asleep?” Lorenzo asked softly, his eyes immediately finding the cradle.
“He slept right after feeding,” Hunter replied quietly. “His fever is completely gone.”
Lorenzo walked over and stood over the cradle. For all his terrifying reputation—a man who controlled shipping docks, political favors, and underworld enforcement—he looked strangely vulnerable standing beside the tiny infant.
“My wife, Elena, died eight weeks ago,” Lorenzo said, his voice flat, stripped of emotion. “A car bomb exploded outside our restaurant in Boston. The doctors managed to perform an emergency C-section before her heart stopped. Leo was born two months early.”
Hunter looked up at him, feeling a wave of deep empathy despite her fear. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Rossi.”
“I thought the attack was carried out by the Moretti family—our rivals in New York,” Lorenzo continued, staring down at his son. “I launched a war. I spent millions securing this house, hiring top medical staff, building a fortress. But tonight... I learn the snake is inside my own walls. Someone has been feeding my son poison for weeks.”
“Who had access to the donor milk?” Hunter asked gently.
“Only three people,” Lorenzo said, turning his dark eyes onto her. “Nurse Jenkins, who has been with my family for twenty years. Dr. Gallagher, who delivered Leo and managed Elena’s care. And my uncle, Silvio Rossi, who handles our internal distribution.”
Lorenzo stepped closer to Hunter’s bed. He towered over her, his shadow enveloping her, but for the first time, Hunter didn't feel threatened by his physical presence. She saw a father desperate to keep his child alive.
“The doctors tell me Leo will need to nurse for at least several months to recover his strength,” Lorenzo said. “I am offering you a contract, Hunter.”
“A contract?”
“One hundred thousand dollars a month,” Lorenzo stated without hesitation. “Full security detail for your protection. Whatever legal resources you need to settle your past. In exchange, you stay in this room, you nurse my son, and you trust no one in this house except me.”
Hunter swallowed hard. A hundred thousand dollars a month was an astronomical sum, but it wasn't the money that made her heart ache. She looked at Leo, who let out a tiny, contented sigh in his sleep.
“I don't care about the money, Mr. Rossi,” Hunter said softly. “I lost my daughter three weeks ago. My ex-boyfriend... he pushed me. I couldn't save my Lily. If I can save Leo, I’ll stay. You don't have to buy me.”
Lorenzo stared at her for a long, silent moment. Something shifted in his cold, dark eyes—a flicker of profound respect.
“Your ex-boyfriend,” Lorenzo said softly, his voice dropping an octave. “What is his name?”
“Travis. Travis Cole,” Hunter answered, looking away as shame touched her cheeks. “He owes money to bad people. He ran after he hurt me.”
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Lorenzo reached out, his large, warm hand gently gripping Hunter’s chin, forcing her to look up into his fierce, unyielding gaze.
“Travis Cole will be found,” Lorenzo promised calmly. “And he will pay for every tear you have shed. No one harms a mother under my roof and continues to breathe.”
