Chapter 4 - The Cell Beneath the Chapel
In the cold, damp holding cell beneath the mansion's
private chapel, Sophia sat on a narrow wooden bench, her hands resting in her lap.
The stone walls echoed with the heavy footsteps of leather boots.
Aleandro stepped into the dim light outside her cell bars. He signaled the guard to step away, leaving them completely alone.
Sophia stood up immediately, her eyes frantic. "Where is Emma?! Is she safe?! Please, Mr. Moretti, I swear on my life I didn't poison Miss Romano! I don't even know what poison looks like!"
"I know you didn't do it, Sophia," Aleandro said softly.
Sophia froze, her breath catching in her throat. "You... you believe me?"
Aleandro pulled the silver locket from his pocket and held it out through the bars.
Sophia’s face went pale. She reached out with trembling fingers, taking the locket back. "You found it."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Aleandro asked, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and deep regret. "You worked in my house for two years. You cleaned my floors, walked past my office every single day... and you never told me I had a daughter."
Sophia looked down at the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Look at your life, Aleandro! Look at this house! You live surrounded by guns, blood, and men who want to kill you! I wanted my daughter to grow up safe, not as a target for your enemies!"
"And you thought raising her in poverty, watching her wear torn shoes and eating leftover bread was better?!" Aleandro demanded, his voice rising in passion.
"YES!" Sophia shouted back, her eyes flashing with a mother’s fierce pride. "Because she was alive! She was happy! She didn't have to worry about bombs in her car or poison in her glass!"
Aleandro stood silent for a long moment. He looked at the woman who had protected his child from the dark world he ruled.
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"You were right about the danger," Aleandro admitted quietly, unlocking the cell door with a heavy iron key. "Valentina died tonight from a glass that was meant for me. Someone in my inner circle is trying to wipe out the Moretti line."
He stepped inside the cell, taking Sophia's hand. "Which means you and Emma are in more danger now than ever before. Step out, Sophia. It's time to protect our family."
