Chapter 3 - Severing the Ties
The morning sun cast a cold light over the Palisades estate.
Beatrice Rossi was standing in the grand foyer, surrounded by four heavily armed guards.
Her designer luggage was piled haphazardly near the massive oak doors.
"You are making a catastrophic mistake, Dante," Beatrice hissed, her composure entirely gone.
"Our allies in the syndicate will not stand for this disrespect."
"You need my connections to keep the northern territories in line!"
Dante stood at the top of the marble staircase, looking down at the woman who gave him life.
"The northern territories can burn to the ground for all I care."
"You are being exiled from this family, from this city, and from this country."
"If you ever step foot within a thousand miles of my wife or my son again, I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your head."
Beatrice opened her mouth to scream a curse, but the guards aggressively grabbed her arms and dragged her out the door.
The heavy steel gates slammed shut, sealing her fate forever.
Dante slowly descended the stairs and walked into the dining room.
Camila was sitting at the long mahogany table, gently feeding Leo a bottle of formula.
The baby was wearing a simple, cheap cotton onesie that Elena had purchased from a local pharmacy that morning.
His skin was already clearing up, the furious red turning into a dull pink.
He looked at his father and let out a soft, happy coo.
Dante’s chest tightened with an emotion he had buried deeply for years.
He walked over and knelt beside Camila's chair.
"He is safe now," Dante murmured, reaching out to stroke his son's soft hair.
Camila looked down at her estranged husband, her heart heavy with the trauma they had just survived.
"We almost lost him, Dante."
"We almost lost our minds, our son, and each other."
Dante looked up into her exhausted, beautiful eyes.
"I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, Camila."
"I promise you."
Across the room, Elena was packing her scuffed medical bag.
Her shift was over, and the crisis was resolved.
"Miss Vargas," Dante called out, standing up to his full, imposing height.
Elena paused, looking over her shoulder.
"Name your price," the billionaire boss demanded.
"I want you on staff permanently."
Elena offered a polite, tired smile and shook her head.
"I belong at the county hospital, Mr. Rossi."
May you like
"There are hundreds of babies there who don't have billion-dollar trust funds to save them."
She walked out the front door, slipping into her rusted Honda Civic, leaving the mafia king utterly speechless.
