Chapter 10 - The Protector
"It's over, Carmen," Vincent said, his voice incredibly soft, stripping away the terrifying aura of the crime boss entirely. "You're safe now. No one is ever going to hurt you or your daughter again."
Carmen took the handkerchief with trembling hands. "Mr. Torino... I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry for bringing my child here."
"Don't apologize," Vincent shook his head. "Isabella saved my life tonight by showing me the rats in my house. Now, it's my turn to save yours."
That afternoon, everything changed.
Vincent’s private mafia doctor arrived at the estate with the absolute best medication money could buy. Carmen’s terrible cough began to fade within hours. She was permanently moved out of the slums and into the luxurious guest wing of the mansion.
She was no longer a maid. Vincent promoted her to Head of the Household, with a massive salary and strict instructions that she was never to scrub another floor again.
That evening, the massive dining room of the estate was fully lit.
Vincent sat at the head of the long mahogany table. At his right side sat little Isabella, wearing a beautiful new dress. Instead of cold, gray leftovers, her plate was piled high with warm, gourmet pasta, fresh bread, and rich chocolate cake.
The little girl ate with a massive, bright smile, swinging her legs happily under the table.
Vincent watched her, feeling a strange, profound warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt in thirty years. He had spent his entire life building an empire built on fear, violence, and blood. But looking at the innocent child and her healing mother, he finally found something worth fighting for.
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He was a boss to the criminal underworld. But to this family, he was a protector.
Do you think Vincent’s brutal punishment for the traitors was justified, or did he go too far?
