Two Years After He Threw Her Out, the Mafia Boss Got a 4 A.M. Call: “Sir… Your Son Is Dying”

By mid-morning, the bright sunlight flooded through the hospital windows, casting warm gold rays across the quiet room. Milo had eaten a bowl of warm oatmeal and fallen back into a healthy, natural sleep, his small hand still loosely gripping Nico’s thumb.

Outside in the private lounge, Claire sat across from Santo, who was reviewing a secure laptop screen displaying encrypted financial ledgers.

"We ran the security footage from the hospital garage three times, Mrs. Falcone," Santo said respectfully, using the title he had always quietly held for her. "The mercenaries didn't break into the facility blindly. They had the exact security codes for the VIP floor’s medical elevator."

"Codes that were only issued four hours ago," Claire noted, her eyes narrowing. "Which means someone inside Nico’s inner council gave those codes to Gianna."

"Precisely," Santo gritted his teeth. "There are only four men with access to those emergency security protocols: myself, Nico, Marcus, and Uncle Gianna himself."

Nico walked out of Room 204, closing the door quietly behind him. He rolled up his white shirt sleeves, exposing the dark ink of his family tattoos.

"It was Marcus," Nico said flatly, his voice containing a lethal, quiet absolute.

Santo looked up in shock. "Marcus? Boss, he’s been your financial advisor for eight years! He managed your late father's estate!"

"And he’s been siphoning offshore accounts into Gianna’s Swiss holdings for six months," Nico revealed, throwing a tablet onto the glass table. "I’ve been tracking the discrepancies since October. I let him think I was oblivious so I could map Gianna’s entire liquidation network. But today, he crossed the line. He put my son in danger."

Claire stood up, stepping between Nico and the door. "What are you going to do?"

"I’m going to end this, Claire," Nico said simply. "Gianna thinks I'm distracted here. He thinks I'm weak because I have a family again. I'm going to show him why his father gave me the crown instead of him."

"Nico, no!" Claire grabbed his arm, her fingers sinking into his muscular forearm. "You just got your son back! You promised him you wouldn't leave! If you walk into a war right now—"

"I am not walking into a war to fight, Claire," Nico interrupted gently, his hand rising to cup her neck, pulling her close until their lips were inches apart. "I am walking into a housecleaning. Gianna’s men are loyal only to his money. Once Marcus is removed, Gianna has no leverage left over the family council."

"Let me come with you," Claire demanded suddenly.

Nico blinked, surprised. "What?"

"Two years ago, you made decisions for me in secret to 'protect' me," Claire declared, her green eyes burning with fierce determination. "You left me in the dark while monsters hunted us. Never again, Nico. If we are a family, we face the shadows together."