Chapter 7 - Shadows in the Estate
Two weeks later, the Marcelli estate felt entirely different.
Leo had been discharged from the hospital and was now staying in the sunny, ground-floor guest cottage on the estate grounds—a private, secure residence Vincent had insisted they move into until Leo was fully recovered.
Elena spent her mornings taking care of her son, watching the color return to his cheeks and his appetite flourish under Chef Teresa's endless supply of healthy, tailored meals. In the afternoons, despite Vincent’s gentle objections, Elena insisted on returning to her duties in the main house. She needed the routine; she needed to feel useful.
However, peace in Vincent Marcelli's world was always temporary.
It was late Thursday evening. Elena was finishing up dusting the glass display cases in the East Wing when she heard hushed, tense voices coming from Vincent's private office.
"...he's pushing hard, boss," Marcus's voice echoed through the crack in the double doors. "Salvatore Moretti didn't leave town like you told him to. He went to the Commission. He's telling the other families that you're getting weak—that you're spending millions on domestic staff and breaking street protocols."
Elena stopped her feather duster, her blood running cold. She crept closer to the door, her heart pounding.
"Let him talk," Vincent's voice answered, smooth and dangerous as polished ice. "Moretti is a desperate dog. He lost his leverage, and now he's barking to anyone who will listen."
"It's not just talk, Vincent," Marcus warned. "The Moretti family put out a hit contract on the girl. They think if they eliminate Elena, it forces you into an open war with the Commission to defend your honor—or proves you're too soft to react."
Inside the room, a heavy silence fell.
Elena choked back a scream, covering her mouth with both hands. A hit contract on me?
"Where is Moretti right now?" Vincent asked quietly.
"He's hiding out at his estate in Oak Brook. He’s surrounded himself with twenty hired guns," Marcus replied. "He knows you're coming for him."
"He thinks he knows," Vincent said. Elena heard the soft clink of a glass being set down on wood. "He expects me to send an army. He expects a mess. But Sal forgot who built this city's foundation."
"What are your orders, boss?"
"Assemble the inner guard," Vincent commanded. "We strike tonight. I want Sal Moretti permanently removed from Chicago before the sun rises. And increase the security perimeter around Elena's cottage. If a single stranger walks within a mile of her boy, eliminate them."
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"Understood."
Elena backed away slowly from the door, her knees trembling violently. She realized with absolute clarity that Vincent was putting his entire empire—and his life—on the line to shield her and her son from the monsters of his world.
