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Everyone Ignored the Mafia Boss’s Deaf Daughter in the Bakery—Until a Plus-Size Woman Signed Back and Exposed the Trap Around His Child / Chapter 4 / 10

Chapter 4 - The Line in the Sand

Outside, the heavy rain continued to pour, pounding against the glass panes of the bakery.

Matteo turned to his chief bodyguard, Leo. "Take four cars to Pier 42. Do not engage directly—lock down the perimeter and secure Marcus alive. I want to know who else paid him."

"Right away, Boss," Leo replied, motioning to two other guards before hurrying out into the rainy night.

Matteo turned back to the booth. He looked at Mia, who was leaning against Emma’s side, feeling safe for the first time in hours.

"Mia," Matteo signed, his large, tattooed hands moving with surprising care and precision. Are you hurt?

No, Mia signed back, smiling gently. Emma gave me cake and hot chocolate. She knew all the signs.

Matteo looked at Emma, taking in her warm demeanor, her practical attire, and the quiet strength in her eyes. "You saved my daughter's life tonight, Miss..."

"Emma. Emma Brooks."

"Emma," Matteo repeated, the name sounding heavy and significant on his tongue. "My name is Matteo Rossi. I owe you a debt that cannot be measured in money."

"I don't want money," Emma said, shaking her head. "I just wanted to make sure Mia was safe."

"That makes you a rare person in this city," Matteo said quietly. He looked out the window at the flashing lights of his remaining escort vehicles. "However, Marcus knows Mia was taken. He may have eyes near this bakery. It isn't safe for you here anymore, Emma. You know too much, and they saw you talking to my daughter."

Emma felt a chill run down her spine. She was just a baker making minimum wage plus tips, trying to rebuild her life after losing her family. Suddenly, she was caught in the middle of a high-stakes underworld war.

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"I have a life here," Emma said softly, glancing back at her manager, who was watching from behind the counter in absolute terror.

"If you stay here tonight, Marcus’s men will come back to find out what Mia told you," Matteo insisted firmly. "Come with us. Just until the threat is neutralized. I give you my word as a father: no harm will ever come to you under my roof."

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Chapter 5 - The Sanctuary
Chapter 6 - Shadows of the Past
Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
Chapter 8 - A New Horizon
Chapter 9 - Bridging the Silence
Chapter 10 - A Family Rewritten

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