Chapter 2 - The Lie Unraveled
Maria looked up through her tears and finally saw her daughter in the arms of the most dangerous man in the city.
She let out a soft gasp of horror, thinking he was going to punish the child.
"Please, sir," Maria begged, crawling forward on her knees.
"Punish me, throw me in prison, but please do not hurt my little Lily."
Lorenzo slowly crouched down, balancing the sleeping girl in one arm.
He reached out his free hand and gently wiped a tear from Maria's beautiful cheek.
"Nobody is going to prison, Maria," he said in a tone that shocked his own security guards.
Lorenzo stood back up to his full, intimidating height.
He snapped his fingers, and his top lieutenant, Marco, stepped out of the shadows.
"Marco, go to Ranata's private bedroom right now," Lorenzo ordered.
"Rip up the floorboards, tear apart the mattress, and bring me whatever you find."
Ranata's face instantly turned the color of spoiled milk.
"Sir, you cannot invade my privacy based on the lies of a cheap maid!" she screamed.
Two massive guards immediately grabbed Ranata by the arms and forced her to her knees.
Ten minutes later, Marco returned with a thick stack of stolen cash, three diamond necklaces, and a pawn shop receipt for the missing parts of the golden clock.
Lorenzo looked down at the shaking housekeeper with eyes as cold as a frozen lake.
"You stole from my family, and then you made a little girl cry to cover your tracks," Lorenzo said.
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"Take her to the basement," he commanded his men.
Ranata screamed as she was dragged away into the darkness, never to be seen in the mansion again.
