She Walked Into a Mafia Boss's Kitchen to Save Her Daughter — and His Four Sons Made Sure She Never Left

The silence in the kitchen was deafening.

Victoria’s face flushed a deep, ugly red. She opened her mouth to speak, but Daniel moved with a speed that defied his large frame. In a single motion, he grabbed the manila envelope off the counter, tossed it into the open fireplace, and turned to face Victoria’s lawyer.

"Get out," Daniel said. He didn't raise his voice, but the low frequency carried a promise of absolute violence.

Arthur didn't hesitate. He grabbed his briefcase and hurried out the side door.

Victoria stood her ground for a second longer, her chest heaving with rage. "You think you can protect her, Daniel? You can't even protect your own family! The Commission is meeting on Friday. They know you're soft. They know you're distracted by four sniveling brats. They're going to strip you of the docks, and then I'm taking my sister's boys!"

She spun on her heel and marched out, her high heels clicking viciously against the marble.

When the front door slammed shut, Daniel turned to Elena. The darkness in his expression was thick enough to suffocate the room.

"You're an idiot," Daniel said coldly.

Elena blinked, stunned. "I'm sorry?"

"She offered you your daughter," Daniel said, stepping toward her until he was hovering over her. "She offered you a way out of your miserable, pathetic legal battle. Why the hell didn't you take it?"

"Because it was a lie!" Elena shouted back, her restraint finally snapping. "She doesn't care about those boys! She wants their trust fund! And I will never use a child as a pawn to get what I want, even if it's my own!"

Daniel stared at her, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched beneath his dark stubble. "You don't know what you've just done. Victoria isn't just an annoying relative. Her family controls the eastern shipping routes. By rejecting her, you've forced her to ally with the factions in my organization that want me dead."

"Then protect your house better!" Elena retorted, sticking her finger into his broad chest. "You sit up here in your castle with your guns and your bodyguards, but your boys are starving for affection! Leo is walking in his sleep, Luca is screaming for attention, and you're letting your late wife's snake of a sister walk into your kitchen and offer bribes! If you're as dangerous as everyone says you are, start acting like it!"

Daniel caught her hand by the wrist. His grip was warm, iron-hard, but he didn't squeeze. He held her hand right against his chest, right over the slow, steady thud of his heart.

"Nobody talks to me like that," he whispered, his eyes burning into hers.

"Then fire me," Elena breathed, refusing to back down, though her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe. "Fire me and send me back to the rain."

They stood locked in that breathless, electric space for what felt like an eternity. The heat between them was sudden and intense, an unstoppable collision of two fiercely protective souls.

Slowly, Daniel let go of her wrist. He stepped back, running a hand through his dark hair.

"You start training the boys at eight," Daniel said, his voice rough. "No more cereal on the floor. No more broken glass."

"And my salary?"

"Triple," Daniel said, walking toward the door. "If you're going to be a target in my war, you're going to be paid for it."

He stopped at the threshold, looking back over his shoulder.

"And Elena?"

"What?"

"My lawyer, Marco, will be taking over your custody case as of this morning. If Vance wants to keep your daughter, he'll have to go through the Foretti family legal team."