Aftermath of Fire
The gunfire finally died down. The courtyard, once alive with chaos, was now littered with fallen men and the sharp smell of blood and smoke. Lorenzo stood in the silence, chest heaving, his gun still raised as his eyes scanned for Marco.
But Marco was gone. Slipped into the shadows once again, leaving behind only destruction and a promise of return.
"Boss," Matteo said, approaching with a grim face. "He retreated. But he'll be back. Stronger."
Lorenzo's jaw tightened. He wiped the blood from a cut on his cheek, his expression unreadable. "Double the guards. Nobody gets near the gates without my say."
He holstered his gun and strode toward the mansion. His heart pounded harder the closer he got to Isabella's room—not from the fight, but from the thought of Amara.
Inside, Amara still clutched Isabella in her arms, both trembling. The guard in the room lowered his weapon when Lorenzo entered. His dark suit was streaked with blood—some his, most not.
Amara's eyes widened. "Lorenzo—"
Before she could say more, Isabella broke free from her grip and ran straight into her father's arms.
"Papa!" she sobbed, pressing her face into his chest.
Lorenzo knelt, holding her tightly, whispering something soft in Italian that Amara couldn't understand. His hard edges melted for that one moment, the ruthless Mafia boss replaced by a father desperate to shield his daughter from the world's cruelty.
When Isabella finally drifted back to sleep in his arms, Lorenzo laid her gently in bed. Then his gaze shifted to Amara. Their eyes locked, and the silence between them was louder than the gunfire had been.
"You see now," he said quietly, his voice rough. "This is why I can't let you out of my sight. Why I keep you here."
Amara's heart hammered. She wanted to scream, to demand answers—Why does Marco want me? What aren't you telling me?—but the words stuck in her throat.
Instead, she whispered, "How many more times will he come?"
Lorenzo's jaw tightened. He stepped closer, his presence filling the room. "As many times as it takes… until I end him."
Amara's breath caught. She didn't know which terrified her more—Marco's obsession with her, or Lorenzo's vow to kill for her.
And deep inside, one haunting thought refused to leave her mind:
What am I to these men? A pawn in their war… or something far more dangerous?
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🔥 Now the aftermath shows Lorenzo's protective side but keeps the secrets buried.