Chapter 2 - Inside the CitadelAt precisely 7:00 p.m., a sleek black sedan idled outside Maya’s Queens apartment building. She stepped inside, her heart hammering against her ribs, and was driven across the bridge into Manhattan, eventually stopping before a heavily guarded, iron-gated estate that looked more like a European fortress than a home.
She was escorted through marble hallways lined with priceless art until she reached a grand study. Lorenzo Vitale stood by a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the glittering city skyline. When he turned, the harshness in his features softened just a fraction as he saw her tense posture.
"Thank you for coming, Maya," Lorenzo said, pouring two glasses of amber liquid.
"I didn't really have a choice, did I?" she retorted, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to sound brave.
"In my world, choices are luxuries," Lorenzo admitted candidly, stepping closer. "Which is why you need to understand the danger you walked into. The men who tracked Matteo to the park aren't business rivals. They are enemies who want to destroy everything I love. Because you protected my son, your name is now tied to mine. In their eyes, you are a target."
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Maya’s breath caught. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because," Lorenzo said, his gaze locking onto hers with intense gravity, "I protect what is mine. And from this moment on, you are under my protection."
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