Chapter 8 - Unraveling the Web
By noon, the Westchester estate had transformed from a crime scene into a fortress under siege-level precautions. Outside, black SUVs with tinted windows patrolled the perimeter gates, while inside, specialized cyber-security teams scrubbed the estate’s mainframe clean of any remaining malware left behind by the Salieri operatives.
True to his word, Dominic had arranged for Leo’s immediate departure. I was permitted to spend ten minutes with my brother in the holding area before he was escorted to a private airstrip in Westchester.
Leo looked broken, his eyes red-rimmed and filled with overwhelming remorse as he clutched my hands across the metal table.
"I'm so sorry, El," he choked out, his voice cracking. "I ruined everything. I put you and Lily in unimaginable danger because I was a fool."
"Go, Leo," I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks as I squeezed his hands one last time. "Get on that plane, start over somewhere else, and never, ever look back. You’re alive because a three-year-old girl saved your skin. Don't ever waste that second chance."
Within an hour, Leo was gone, spirited away on a private cargo flight bound for Buenos Aires.
Back inside the grand mansion, life resumed with a new, hyper-vigilant rhythm. True to Dominic’s promise, my belongings were moved from the cramped staff quarters in the basement service wing to a magnificent, sunlit two-bedroom suite in the family wing, complete with antique furnishings, tall bay windows overlooking the rose gardens, and a private sitting room for Lily’s toys.
As I stood unpacking our suitcases into the mahogany wardrobe, a soft knock echoed at the double doors.
I opened them to find Ethan standing in the hallway, dressed casually in a soft gray cashmere sweater and dark jeans. He looked much healthier and more vibrant than he had under the harsh lights of the ballroom the night before. Tucked under his arm was a massive, beautifully illustrated pop-up book about dinosaurs.
"Hi, Elena," Ethan said politely, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Is... is Lily awake?"
"She just woke up from her nap, Ethan," I smiled warmly, stepping aside to let him enter. "She’s in the sitting room coloring with her new crayons."
Without waiting for further invitation, Ethan walked into the suite. Lily, hearing voices, popped her head around the corner of the sitting room archway, her eyes lighting up instantly when she saw the birthday boy.
"Ethan!" she squealed, dropping her yellow crayon and running across the hardwood floor to grab his hand. "Did you eat your cake yet?"
Ethan laughed—a bright, genuine sound that I had rarely heard echo through the cavernous halls of the Moretti estate. "No, Lily. My dad ordered a whole new chocolate cake from a bakery in Manhattan, and Dr. Harris tested every single crumb twice with his machine before I was allowed to touch it."
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"Good," Lily declared with a serious nod, placing her hands on her hips. "Because bad guys shouldn't have cake."
I watched them from the doorway, a profound sense of peace finally settling over my anxious heart. For six years, I had been invisible in this house—just another member of the domestic staff blending into the background of a terrifying underworld empire. But now, everything had changed. My daughter and I were no longer just shadows in the halls of the Moretti dynasty; we were part of its inner circle.
