They called me a monster, but nothing prepared me for the moment I kicked open the door to my son's nursery, aimed a pistol at a trembling young maid with my dying infant pressed against her bare chest...

I dragged Marcus’s bleeding, pathetic body into the center of the ruined cabin. He was sobbing, clutching his shattered knee. I tied him to a heavy wooden chair, ensuring he couldn't move.

I walked over to the master bedroom and knocked a specific rhythm on the floorboards. The steel trapdoor slowly opened, and Harper emerged, clutching Luca tightly. She was terrified, but unhurt.

When Harper stepped into the living room and saw Marcus bleeding in the chair, she froze completely. Her breath hitched. The monster of her nightmares was sitting right in front of her, broken and defeated.

"Harper..." Marcus groaned, looking up at her with pathetic, pleading eyes. "Please... help me. Tell him to let me go."

Harper didn't back away. She walked closer, her eyes blazing with a newfound, terrifying strength. She looked at the man who had murdered her daughter, then looked at me.

"Matteo," Harper said, her voice icy and devoid of any mercy. "Make him tell us everything."

I grabbed Marcus by the hair, yanking his head back. "Vincenzo ran like a coward. But he didn't orchestrate this alone. Who planted the bomb in my wife's SUV two months ago? Was it Vincenzo?"

"Yes! Yes, it was him!" Marcus shrieked. "He hired the Rossi family to rig the car! He wanted Elena dead so you wouldn't have an heir! When the baby survived the crash, Vincenzo paid Dr. Thorne to convince you the child was sick, and he paid the nurse to poison him! He just wanted the throne, Matteo! He wanted to be the boss!"

The absolute confirmation of Vincenzo’s treachery settled heavily in my chest. He had murdered the love of my life, nearly murdered my son, and tried to destroy my legacy.

I looked at Harper. "Do you want to leave the room?"