Chapter 3 - Eleven Seconds of Truth

Elena dropped to her knees beside her daughter, pulling Sophie into a protective embrace. Tears streamed down the maid's face as she looked up at the feared mafia boss.
"Please, Mr. Moretti," Elena begged, her voice shaking violently. "Take me, punish me, do whatever you want to me, but please don't hurt my baby! She didn't steal anything!"
"The purse was in her hands, Elena," Gabe snapped. "Explain the money."
"It's a setup!" Elena cried, her eyes wide with desperation. "I came here to work to pay off my late husband's medical debts. I bring Sophie because I can't afford childcare, and I hide her in the staff quarters during my shift. I give my daily food portions to her because we have nothing left at home. But I am not a thief, and neither is my daughter!"
Lorenzo listened silently, analyzing every nuance of her voice. In eleven seconds, Elena revealed the grueling reality of her sacrifice—starving herself so her child could eat, working double shifts in secret, and enduring horrific poverty while surrounded by vast wealth.
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Lorenzo looked at the spilled purse on the floor. Something didn't add up. The luxury bag belonged to his estranged aunt, Beatrice, who had been visiting the estate to press him for a larger cut of the family business. Lorenzo knew Beatrice’s greed well.
He stood up, looking down at his security chief. "Gabe, pull the high-angle camera feeds from the master corridor from fifteen minutes ago."