silent

Chapter 3 - The Treason in the Family

"Look at me, Maria," Lorenzo commanded quietly without taking his eyes off Emma. His voice was a soft, deadly whisper that echoed off the tall glass walls.

Maria fell to her knees on the marble floor, her body trembling so violently her knees knocked together. She buried her face in her trembling hands, sobbing silently as the eyes of forty high-ranking syndicate members locked onto her back.

"Who told you to hide my baby, Maria?" Lorenzo asked, every word dropping like a lead weight into the silence.

Maria lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes darting in sheer terror toward the front row of mourners—specifically locking onto Marco Vance, Lorenzo’s trusted second-in-command and childhood friend. Marco stood tall, his hands clasped in front of his black suit, his face an unreadable mask of calm authority, though a tiny bead of sweat glistened near his hairline.

"The man who set the car fire... paid me," Maria sobbed, her voice breaking under the unbearable weight of the truth. "He told me to keep the baby hidden until the funeral was over! He said if I spoke a word... he would make Emma vanish!"

A collective gasp rippled through the gathered mourners. Armed guards reached instinctively toward their holsters, their eyes darting between Lorenzo, the crying maid, and Marco Vance.

Lorenzo rose to his full height slowly, his tall frame towering over the kneeling woman. His dark eyes locked directly onto Marco, burning with a lethal, unforgiving intent.

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"Take me to my daughter," Lorenzo ordered softly.

👉 Keep reading to find out what happened on the night of the coastal highway fire.

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