The car didn't stop until they were deep to Villa Nero.on the quiet outskirts of Milan. It was sleek, dark, and untouchable. Built with black stone and glass, it carried the cold, commanding elegance that mirrors Lorenzo himself.
For Lorenzo and every other person who has connections with it, Villa Nero wasn't just a home, it was a fortress where power lives… and secrets don't escape.
The car drove through steel gates and armed guards. The mansion was equipped with layers of security that no one crossed without permission or consequence. It reeled to a stop in front of the glistening front lawn.
The moment the car halted, the doors were already being opened.
"Boss…" the valet began
"Clear the area, no one comes near without my approval" Lorenzo cut in sharply.
The men moved instantly.
Matteo was out of the car before he could process it, his small hand still clutching Lorenzo's shirt as if letting go meant everything would fall apart again.
Lorenzo noticed but he didn't comment, he unconsciously adjusted his hold on the boy slightly and more protectively.
"Doctor," he ordered as he walked inside.
"I'm fine," Matteo said quietly.
"Well… You're not the one bleeding." Lorenzo said, glancing down at him.
"Oh." Matteo muttered,then looked at the dark stain spreading across Lorenzo's side.
Around them inside the mansion, things were already shifting into motion. The staff were cleared out, security doubled and doors locked.
The outside world was shut out completely because things were now personal, no longer just business.
*****
The doctor worked quickly, in silence and sheer efficiency like he was used to all this. Lorenzo sat still as the bullet was being removed, his jaw tightened but his expression remained unchanged.
Matteo sat across the room, his eyes wandering around. The gear on his eyes had dissipated, he was just watching as if trying to understand the man in front of him.
"You didn't even flinch," Matteo said suddenly. The doctor paused slightly, his gaze shifting to him briefly.
"I've had worse," he replied.
"That's not good." Matteo frowned.
"You'll need to rest." The doctor finished and began packing up his stuff.
"I don't rest." Lorenzo replied as he stood up immediately.
"Then you'll bleed again."
"I won't."
The doctor didn't argue, people like Lorenzo didn't listen. He left.
"Are you really my dad?" came Matteo's voice, softer this time and even more certain.
"Yes." Lorenzo turned to face him fully.
"But Mom doesn't like you." he said, blunt and honest
"That's fair."Lorenzo nodded once.
"But you saved me…so I think I like you." Matteo said as he tilted his head slightly.
Lorenzo didn't know how to respond because this small, unexpected connection was unfamiliar territory. And Lorenzo De Luca didn't operate in unfamiliar territory; rather he controlled it or in this case, he'll have to learn. Fast.
******
Meanwhile, Isabella had already been brought home from the Gala and was crashing out in the ballroom downstairs after hours of trying to run past the bodyguard who stood stoic at the door without budging. She paced back and forth, her chest feeling tight.
Each and every second stretched longer than the last. There's been no call or update from Lorenzo.
"Mister, if you're gonna keep standing there, at least say something," she snapped, turning to the guard stationed at the door.
And of course, he didn't move, speak or even blink simply following Lorenzo's orders.
"This isn't a prison" She clenched her fists.
"Well it is tonight." the voice came smoothly from behind her.
Isabella turned sharply.
Sofia leaned casually against the doorway, arms crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised as if she had just walked into mild entertainment.
"Miss me?" she asked.
"Sofia?" Isabella's eyes widened.
"How the heck did you get here?," Isabella said, stepping forward. "You knew something was wrong and you didn't tell me…"
"I was busy tracking your kidnapped son," Sofia cut in dryly.
"He's alive," Sofia said. "And before you spiral, yes… your husband got to him first."
Isabella's knees nearly gave out as relief flooded her so fast it hurt.
"Thank God…" she muttered.
But it didn't last because Sofia wasn't smiling.
"You're not out of this yet," she said.
"What do you mean?" Isabella's breath caught.
Sofia pushed herself off the wall and began walking in slowly.
"For people to hit like that? With such layered attack, clean extraction and backup units?" she said. "That shit was definitely not random. It was all organized and personal."
"I know," Isabella whispered.
"You didn't tell him everything, did you?" Sofia asked, narrowing her eyes.
Isabella went silent.
"Yeah… I figured." Sofia sighed softly.
"I couldn't." Isabella's voice dropped.
"Bella, at this point you're going to have to." Sofia replied
"No. I just can't, I don't want to be a part of any of this. So I'm just gonna go out there, pick up my son and start making all the necessary arrangements to move out of Milan." Isabella said, with a tone of finality.
That stopped Sofia dead on her tracks.
"Then he's going to find out anyway, And trust me, when it does you'd prefer it rather came from you." she said, her gaze sharpened.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Isabella shook her head.
"No, you don't understand." Sofia cut in.
Her voice shifted to a more serious and sharper tone.
"They found Matteo," she said. "Not you. Not your identity. Him."
Isabella froze.
"Yeah… and that could only mean one thing, they know what he is and whose son he is."
The words hit her like a bomb.
"No…" Isabella whispered.
"Yes." Sofia cut in, stepping closer.
"And if they know that, that means they know something else too."
Isabella's heart was pounding fast and hard because she already knew what Sofia was about to say.
"They know what you saw that night."
That was the truth she had been running from