Chapter 3 - The Little Heir's Promise
The first week of Sarah’s recovery was a quiet battle against her own body. The pain was immense, but she refused the heavy narcotics the private estate doctor offered, choosing instead to keep her mind clear. She needed to be sharp; she was a prisoner in a golden cage, surrounded by men with heavy weapons and unreadable faces.
Her only comfort was Toby. Lorenzo had kept his word—her fourteen-year-old brother had been moved into a luxurious suite in the east wing, his medical bills paid, his insulin supplied by a specialized endocrinologist who visited every three days.
On the eighth morning, a soft knock sounded against the heavy oak door of her bedroom.
"Come in," Sarah called out, sitting up against the silk pillows.
The door pushed open slowly, and Leo poked his head inside. He had discarded his formal ballroom clothes, now wearing a pair of blue dinosaur pajamas, clutching a small, worn teddy bear in his right hand. He looked at Sarah with wide, adoring gray eyes—the exact same color as his father’s, but entirely free of the coldness.
"Hi, Sarah," the little boy whispered, stepping into the room. "Papa said I could visit you for ten minutes if I promised to be very quiet."
Sarah’s heart melted completely. She held out her hand, ignoring the dull ache in her side. "Hi, Leo. Come here."
The little boy scrambled up onto the high bed, careful not to touch her bandaged right side. He sat cross-legged near her knees, holding out his teddy bear. "This is Barnaby. He protects me from the monsters under the bed. But I told him he has to stay with you now, because you're the one who fights the real monsters."
Tears pricked the corners of Sarah’s eyes. She took the small bear, hugging it gently against her uninjured shoulder. "Thank you, Leo. That is the best gift I’ve ever received."
"Are you my new mama now?" Leo asked suddenly, his face entirely innocent. "Papa said you live here forever now. He said if anyone ever tries to hurt you, I have to tell him immediately so he can... make them disappear."
Sarah looked toward the doorway. Lorenzo stood there, leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest, watching the interaction with an intensity that made her pulse jump.
"Your father tells you a lot of things, Leo," Sarah said softly, her eyes remaining fixed on Lorenzo.
"He told me you're the bravest girl in New York," Leo prattled proudly. "He said a man spends his whole life looking for people who won't run when the guns start shooting. He said you're a real Caruso now."
Lorenzo stepped into the room, his long shadow falling over the bed. He picked Leo up with one arm, settling the boy against his broad hip. "Time's up, Leo. Your tutor is waiting downstairs."
As Leo waved goodbye and left the room, Lorenzo turned back to Sarah, his expression hardening into its familiar, lethal mask. "The internal review is complete, Sarah. We found out who paid the assassin at the Pierre."
May you like
Sarah tensed. "Who?"
"Don Moretti," Lorenzo whispered, his eyes turning to slate. "The head of the Five Families council. He thinks because I am moving our logistics business into legitimate shipping ports, I am becoming weak. He’s hosting a summit tomorrow night at his estate in Long Island. And we are going to attend."
