Chapter 4 - Shattered TrustThe tension boiling beneath the surface finally erupted a week later. Maya had grown closer to little Matteo, reading to him in the estate's sprawling library and teaching him simple English phrases while he laughed. But the shadow of Lorenzo's world crept closer when an assassination attempt shattered a quiet afternoon.
Glass exploded inward as a sniper's bullet pierced the study window, embedding itself in the oak bookshelf inches from where Maya stood. Within seconds, security teams swarmed the room, hustling Maya and Matteo into a secure panic room deep within the estate.
When Lorenzo rushed into the bunker minutes later, his face pale with fury and adrenaline, Maya snapped.
"This is madness!" she shouted, tears of frustration finally breaking through her composure. "I can't live like this! Every second I'm with you, I'm dodging bullets! Send me back to Queens, Lorenzo. Let me go back to my ordinary, safe life!"
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Lorenzo stepped toward her, his chest heaving. "Do you think I want this for you? Do you think it was easy for me to bring you into this chaos? I didn't ask for you to save my son, Maya, but you did—and from that moment, you became the only person in this world I trust."
"Trust isn't enough when safety is an illusion," she whispered, turning away.
