Chapter 8 - One Bullet Nearly Took Lily’s Life—and Lorenzo Finally Admitted Why He Was Protecting NorahLily collapsed.
Everything became noise.
I screamed her name.
Lorenzo grabbed her.
“She's alive.”
“She's bleeding!”
“Marcus, drive!”
We rushed Lily to a private trauma center.
The surgery lasted four hours.
I sat outside the operating room.
Lorenzo sat beside me.
Neither of us spoke.
Then a doctor emerged.
“She survived.”
I almost collapsed.
“She's stable.”
I covered my face.
Lorenzo placed a hand on my shoulder.
I didn't move away.
Hours passed.
The hallway emptied.
At four in the morning, Lorenzo finally spoke.
“I should have told you earlier.”
“Told me what?”
“Your father saved my life once.”
I looked at him.
“When?”
“After my father disappeared.”
“How?”
“I was seventeen.”
He looked down.
“I was attacked by men who wanted control of the organization.”
“Your father?”
“Gone.”
“Your uncle?”
“Running.”
“My father found me.”
I listened.
“He took me to a safe house.”
“Why?”
“Because he promised my father he would protect me.”
My throat tightened.
“Then what happened?”
“He disappeared.”
“To protect you?”
“Yes.”
Lorenzo looked at me.
“And years later, I found out he had a daughter.”
Me.
“You knew who I was?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Two years.”
I stared at him.
“You knew from the beginning?”
“Yes.”
“Why hire me?”
“Because you needed work.”
“That isn't the only reason.”
“No.”
“What was the other?”
He leaned closer.
“Because I wanted to keep you alive.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Because people were looking for you.”
“And you never told me?”
“I wanted you to have one normal life.”
I laughed bitterly.
“A maid in a mafia mansion?”
“For you, that was safer than knowing the truth.”
He reached for my hand.
This time I let him.
“I never intended for you to become involved.”
“You failed.”
“Yes.”
His thumb moved slowly across my knuckles.
“I failed badly.”
I looked into his eyes.
“And now?”
“Now I don't care about my empire.”
I stared.
“What?”
“If protecting you costs me everything, I'll burn it myself.”
My heart pounded.
“That isn't like you.”
“No.”
He leaned closer.
“Neither are you.”
Our faces were inches apart.
Then a nurse rushed toward us.
“Mr. Rossi!”
We stood.
“What?”
“Your sister is awake.”
We entered the room.
Lily looked at us.
Then smiled weakly.
“You two look guilty.”
I laughed through tears.
Lorenzo smiled.
Then Lily's expression changed.
“Norah.”
“Yes?”
“There's something in my bag.”
I opened it.
Inside was a small memory card.
A note was attached.
For the daughter of Evelyn Sullivan.
My hands shook.
Lorenzo looked at me.
“Play it.”
We found a computer.
A video loaded.
My mother's face appeared.
Older.
Tired.
Alive.
My breath caught.
“Norah,” she said.
I covered my mouth.
“If you're watching this, I failed to keep you away from the Rossi family.”
Lorenzo stared.
My mother's voice continued.
“But there is one thing you need to know.”
She looked directly into the camera.
“Massimo Rossi is not the mastermind.”
Lorenzo leaned forward.
“Then who?”
My mother whispered—
“Your father's closest friend.”
The screen went black.
Lorenzo looked at me.
“Who was your father's closest friend?”
May you like
I whispered the answer.
“Daniel Reed.”
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