Chapter 2 - THE INTERROGATION OF TRUTH
An hour later, the private dining room on the second floor was lit by the soft amber glow of a grand chandelier.
Bella sat nervously on the edge of a velvet armchair, holding a glass of warm milk. Leo was sitting on a plush cushion on the table, playing with a silver spoon, completely oblivious to the fact that he was inside the inner sanctum of Chicago's most dangerous crime boss.
Dr. Vane, the Moretti family's personal physician, finished inspecting Leo’s ears and throat. He stepped back and smiled warmly at Bella.
"The boy is perfectly healthy, Miss," Dr. Vane said gently. "Strong lungs, excellent reflexes. Just a slight diaper rash, but I will have Beatatrice bring up some ointment."
"Thank you, Doctor," Bella breathed out, squeezing her hands together.
The double doors opened, and Silana walked in. He had removed his blood-stained jacket and wore a crisp black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing dark tattoos covering his forearms.
Dr. Vane nodded respectfully to Silana and left the room, closing the heavy doors behind him.
Silana walked over to the table and sat in the chair opposite Bella. He poured himself a glass of water, taking a slow sip.
"You lied on your employment application," Silana stated plainly, his eyes fixing on Bella. "Your references were forged. Beatatrice accepted them because an old contact recommended you."
Bella’s heart dropped into her stomach. "Mr. Moretti, please—"
"I know who you are, Bella Jenkins," Silana interrupted calmly.
Bella froze. Her breath caught in her throat.
Silana pulled a thin manila folder from his jacket and dropped it onto the mahogany table.
"Bella Jenkins. Twenty-three years old. Former nursing student at Midwestern University," Silana read, his tone flat and analytical. "Daughter of a schoolteacher. And the former girlfriend of David Miller."
At the sound of David’s name, Bella flinched as if she had been struck.
"David Miller," Silana repeated, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table. "A small-time accountant who worked for my logistical front. Six months ago, David stole fifty thousand dollars from my ledger and vanished into thin air. Three weeks later, you applied for a job in my house."
"I didn't know!" Bella cried out, tears welling up in her eyes again. "I swear to God, Mr. Moretti, I didn't know what he was doing! David told me he had received an inheritance. He bought me a ring, he promised we were going to get a house for the baby... and then one night he packed his bags and left while I was sleeping!"
"And why come here?" Silana asked, his eyes narrowing into sharp slits. "Why hide in the lion's den?"
"Because loan sharks came to my apartment!" Bella wept, covering her face. "Men with guns knocked down my door! They said David owed money to the Castellano family too! They threatened to take my baby! I was terrified! I remembered David once mentioned that no one would dare touch the Moretti estate. I thought... I thought if I worked here, if I stayed hidden in the shadows, those men would never find us!"
Silana stared at her. His instincts, sharpened by fifteen years of mob warfare, told him she was telling the absolute truth. She wasn't a spy. She wasn't an assassin sent by the Castellanos. She was just a frightened, desperate mother using the devil’s shadow to protect her child.
Leo let out a loud burp, dropping his silver spoon onto the wooden table with a sharp CLANG.
The tension in the room snapped.
Silana looked down at the baby. Leo grinned up at him, reaching his tiny arms out toward Silana’s dark shirt, attracted to the shiny silver buttons.
Without thinking, Silana reached across the table and lifted the baby into his arms.
Bella gasped softly, holding her breath.
Silana held Leo carefully, supporting the baby’s neck with his large, calloused hand. Leo immediately grabbed Silana’s pinky finger, tugging on his gold signet ring and sticking it into his mouth to chew on it.
Silana’s chest tightened. A feeling he thought had died three years ago—warmth, protection, fatherly love—flooded back into his veins like fire.
"David Miller is a coward," Silana said quietly, watching Leo play with his ring. "He abandoned a good woman and a child to save his own skin."
"Mr. Moretti... what are you going to do to us?" Bella asked in a tiny, trembling voice.
Silana looked up from the child to meet Bella’s eyes.
"You broke my rules, Bella. You brought a child into my home," Silana said. "And your ex-boyfriend owes me fifty thousand dollars."
Bella lowered her head, preparing for the worst.
"Therefore," Silana continued, his voice firm and absolute, "you will no longer be a maid."
Bella blinked, looking up in confusion. "What?"
"Starting today, you and Leo will live in the guest suite on the third floor," Silana commanded. "You will have a personal security detail. My doctors will care for your son. And as for David Miller's debt... it is forgiven."
Bella stared at him as if he had spoken in an alien language. "I... I don't understand, Mr. Moretti. Why are you doing this?"
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Silana looked down at little Leo, who had fallen fast asleep against his broad chest, snoring softly.
"Because three years ago, I failed to protect my family," Silana whispered, his eyes dark with ancient pain. "I will not let another child suffer because of the monsters in this city."
