Chapter 3 - Secrets Unearthed
I collapsed onto the leather sofa, pulling Leo into my lap.
"Matteo left the mafia life behind when we met," I explained, my voice trembling.
"He wanted to be a carpenter, to live a quiet life away from the blood."
Lorenzo poured a glass of amber liquid from a crystal decanter and handed it to me.
"He was a fool to think this life would ever let him go," Lorenzo murmured.
"Who killed him, Clara?"
I took a burning sip of the liquor, trying to steady my nerves.
"He wouldn't tell me who was coming for him," I sobbed.
"He just gave Leo that wooden bear and told me to run and never look back."
Lorenzo paced the length of the study, running a hand through his dark hair.
"The Falcone emblem on that bear isn't just a toy, Clara."
He stopped and pointed at the carved wood in my son's hands.
"It is a master key to the offshore accounts that disappeared when the Falcone family fell."
My jaw dropped in shock.
"We have been living in poverty for three years," I whispered.
"Matteo hid the fortune in plain sight, trusting I would recognize the crest if you ever crossed my path," Lorenzo deduced.
Suddenly, the heavy steel door of the study began to rattle.
Someone was trying to override the security lock from the outside.
Lorenzo grabbed his gun, his protective instincts instantly flaring.
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"Stay behind the desk," he commanded, stepping between us and the door.
We had trusted the wrong people inside this house.
