Chapter 5 - The Snake in the Garden
Within a week, a tense, fragile routine established itself within the fortress. While Marco spent twelve hours a day in his glass-walled office downstairs managing a shadow war against the Lucchese family, Emma and Oliver became inseparable.
My daughter, despite her initial fear, had a maternal instinct that matched my own. She spent her afternoons teaching Oliver how to draw houses with red crayons, while Oliver showed her his massive collection of model trains. To the children, the compound was a magical kingdom. To me, it was a minefield.
"You look beautiful, Caroline," a smooth, high-pitched voice said from behind me.
I turned around from the patio table where I was watching the children play. Walking across the manicured lawn was Francesca Lucchese—the daughter of Marco's biggest rival, and the woman my father-in-law had arranged for Marco to marry before I destroyed the contract by running away.
She was wearing a cream-colored silk suit, her blonde hair styled into a perfect, frozen bob. She looked at me with an expression of pure, calculated venom disguised as a smile.
"Francesca," I said, my body instantly going on high alert. "What are you doing here?"
"My father is downstairs negotiating a peace treaty with your... husband," she said, spitting the word like a piece of spoiled meat. She walked over to the edge of the patio, her eyes settling directly on Emma, who was laughing as Oliver chased her through the grass. "She looks just like him, doesn't she? The same vulgar, stubborn jawline."
"Stay away from my daughter, Francesca," I said, stepping between her and the yard.
"Your daughter shouldn't exist, Sophia," Francesca whispered, leaning closer, the smell of her expensive perfume making my stomach turn. "Marco thinks he can hide his little mistake behind these stone walls. But a fortress only works if the people inside don't want to open the gates. My father is going to offer Marco a choice today. A unified territory through our marriage... or a total war that will burn this house to the ground with your children inside it."
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She patted my arm with a manicured hand that felt like a snake sliding across my skin. "Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, dear. Winter is coming."
As she walked away toward the main house, my hands began to shake. I looked at Emma's bright, carefree smile. Francesca was right. As long as we were here, my children were the ultimate targets. I had to get them out. Even if it meant breaking Marco’s heart a second time.
