Chapter 3 - The Silent Bond
Alessandro knocked three times on the heavy oak door of his private office.
He heard a soft click, and the door opened just enough to reveal Rosa’s terrified eyes.
When she saw it was him, she exhaled sharply and opened the door wider.
Lily was asleep on the leather sofa, wrapped in one of Alessandro’s expensive cashmere coats.
"They are gone," Alessandro said quietly, stepping into the room and locking the door behind him.
He walked over to his massive mahogany desk and poured two glasses of aged scotch.
He handed one to Rosa, who accepted it with shaking hands, desperate for the warmth of the alcohol.
"Why did they want to hurt you?" Rosa asked, finding a sudden burst of desperate courage.
"Power," Alessandro answered simply, taking a slow sip of his drink.
"But I believe this goes much deeper than a simple assassination attempt."
He looked at the sleeping child, his heart aching with an unfamiliar sense of protective tenderness.
"Your husband's disappearance was never officially solved, was it?" he asked gently.
Rosa shook her head, a fresh wave of grief washing over her exhausted face.
"The police said he ran away, but Miguel would never leave us," she whispered, wiping her eyes.
"Luca was managing the dock construction site when Miguel vanished," Alessandro revealed, watching her reaction closely.
Rosa gasped, the horrifying realization dawning on her as she connected the tragic dots.
"You think Luca killed my husband?" she asked, her voice trembling with rising anger.
May you like
"I am going to find out, and if he did, I promise you he will pay in blood," Alessandro swore solemnly.
He spent the rest of the night teaching Lily a few new signs when she woke up, finding strange comfort in the silent language.
