Chapter 4 - The Betrayal Behind the Nursery Door
“Down!”
Marco pulled Dante behind the desk.
I ran toward Matteo.
Emergency lights flashed red.
Gunshots sounded downstairs.
Not close.
But close enough.
Dante grabbed my wrist.
“Take Matteo.”
“What about you?”
“Clara.”
“No.”
His eyes locked onto mine.
“Take my son and go with Marco.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
Something changed in his face.
Then another shot echoed.
He shoved a hidden panel behind the bookcase.
A narrow corridor appeared.
“Go.”
Marco pushed me inside.
I carried Matteo against my chest.
Behind us, Dante stayed.
The panel closed.
I whispered, “That idiot.”
Marco almost smiled.
“He'll appreciate your concern.”
“I'm going to kill him myself if someone else doesn't.”
We reached a secure room beneath the townhouse.
Ten minutes later, Dante entered.
Blood marked his sleeve.
I rushed toward him.
“You're hurt.”
“Not mine.”
I stopped.
“That's a disturbing sentence.”
“Everyone upstairs is alive.”
“And Sofia?”
“Gone.”
Marco swore.
Dante looked at him.
“She planned this.”
“Yes.”
A guard entered.
“Boss, we found a phone.”
He handed it over.
A message was open.
THE BAKER KNOWS TOO MUCH. TAKE HER WITH THE CHILD.
Dante’s expression became lethal.
I stared at the screen.
“She wants me dead too.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“No?”
Dante moved closer.
“She wants you.”
“That's worse.”
“Eric disappeared after Lucia died. Sofia paid him. Now she's specifically asking for you alive.”
“Why?”
Marco’s phone rang.
He answered.
Then looked at me.
“We found Eric.”
I couldn't speak.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“New Jersey.”
Dante turned toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
“He killed my daughter.”
“We don't know that.”
“You believe Sofia.”
“I believe evidence.”
“So do I.”
He looked at me for several seconds.
“Stay beside me.”
We found Eric in an abandoned office owned by one of Sofia’s companies.
When he saw me, he started crying.
“Clara.”
I stopped ten feet away.
“You don't get to say my name.”
“I can explain.”
“Explain Lucia.”
His face collapsed.
“I didn't mean for her to die.”
My entire body went numb.
Dante moved beside me.
Eric stared at him.
“I swear.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“I was stealing medication.”
“Sofia told me.”
“I replaced doses with diluted stock. Lucia was supposed to be fine.”
I could barely hear him.
“Supposed to?”
“She needed medication that night. The nurse grabbed the vial I'd switched.”
My eyes burned.
“You knew?”
“Afterward.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was scared.”
“You came to her funeral.”
“Clara—”
“You held me while I cried.”
“I loved you.”
I slapped him.
The room went silent.
“No. You loved yourself.”
Eric lowered his head.
Dante asked, “Why Matteo?”
“Sofia contacted me again.”
“For what?”
“She said she'd erase my debts if I changed one dose.”
“You agreed?”
Eric began sobbing.
“I didn't know it was your son.”
Dante stepped toward him.
I put my hand against Dante’s chest.
He stopped.
“Don't.”
His eyes stayed on Eric.
“He deserves—”
“Not from you.”
I looked at Eric.
“He gets police. He gets courtrooms. He gets to wake up every morning knowing he killed an innocent child because he wanted easy money.”
Eric whispered, “I'm sorry.”
I shook my head.
“No, you're afraid.”
Marco’s phone buzzed.
He read the message.
“Boss.”
Dante turned.
“What?”
“Sofia has Matteo.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?”
Dante looked toward the carrier beside Marco.
Empty.
One of the guards had disappeared.
Marco's face went white.
“Inside man.”
Dante grabbed him.
“Where is my son?”
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Sofia’s voice came through.
“Bring Dante to the old Moretti estate.”
My hands shook.
“And if we don't?”
A baby cried in the background.
Matteo.
May you like
Sofia said quietly:
“Then Clara gets to lose another child.”
