Chapter 2 - THE SANCTUARY
The armored SUV moved through the rainy streets of Chicago in absolute silence. I sat rigid in the leather backseat, my eyes glued to my lap, holding the blood-stained handkerchief against my cheek. Beside me, Enzo Marchetti was calmly reviewing documents on a sleek tablet, entirely unbothered by the fact that he had just cancelled the most anticipated high-society wedding of the decade.
"Where are we going?" I finally found the courage to ask, my voice trembling. "Sir, I really need to get home. My little sister Maya—"
"Your sister is already taken care of," Enzo said without looking up from his screen.
My heart dropped into my stomach. Panic flared instantly. "What do you mean? What did you do to Maya?"
Enzo turned his head toward me, his dark eyes softening slightly as he registered the genuine terror on my face. "Calm down, Elena. My men picked her up from your apartment fifteen minutes ago. She is currently in a private suite at my estate, eating dinner prepared by my personal chef."
"Why?" I stammered, confused and breathless.
"Because the moment we walked out of that ballroom, you became a target," Enzo explained calmly. "Senator Ashford is a desperate man with immense political influence. Camilla is a spoiled child who has never been denied anything in her life. They cannot touch me directly, so they will go after the easiest thing they can find to hurt you. That means your sister."
I swallowed hard, the reality of my situation crashing down on me. I was just a waitress trying to make rent, and now I was caught in the crossfire of a billionaire mob boss and a crooked senator.
Ten minutes later, the SUV pulled through massive iron gates and rolled up a long stone driveway leading to a sprawling estate tucked away in Gold Coast. It looked like an old European fortress—impenetrable, timeless, and intimidating.
Enzo guided me through the grand foyer, where a kindly older woman in a sharp blazer was waiting with a medical kit.
"This is Dr. Vance," Enzo introduced her. "She will take care of your cheek."
"I thought I was the only Vance here," I murmured involuntarily.
Enzo permitted himself a tiny, rare smile. "No relation, I assure you. But she is the best surgeon in Illinois."
As the doctor gently cleaned and butterfly-stitched the cut on my cheek, Enzo stood by the fireplace, pouring two fingers of amber whiskey into a crystal glass.
"You didn't flinch," Enzo observed suddenly, looking at me through the mirror above the hearth. "When Camilla slapped you the second time. Most people would have covered their face or screamed. You just stood your ground until your body gave out."
"When you grow up on the South Side, you learn quickly that crying doesn't stop people from hurting you," I said quietly, wincing slightly as the antiseptic stung my raw skin. "It just tells them they're winning."
Enzo turned around completely, staring at me with a look of profound, unreadable intensity. "You are far stronger than you give yourself credit for, Elena."
Before I could answer, his chief of security, Marco, stepped into the room, holding an encrypted satellite phone. "Boss. Senator Ashford is on line one. He's threatening to send the FBI to search the premises for kidnapping."
Enzo didn't even blink. He reached out and took the phone, putting it on speaker so I could hear.
"Marchetti!" Senator Ashford's voice boomed through the speakers, laced with furious indignation. "Return my daughter's dignity and drop this ridiculous charade, or I will destroy every asset you own in this city!"
Enzo took a slow sip of his whiskey. "Senator," he said, his tone chillingly smooth. "You have thirty minutes to issue a public statement announcing that the engagement was terminated by mutual consent due to your family's financial irreconcilabilities. If you fail to do so, I will release the audio recordings of your offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands to the Federal Prosecutor."
Silence stretched over the line.
"You wouldn't," Ashford whispered, his previous bravado evaporating instantly.
May you like
"Try me," Enzo said, and hung up the phone.
He turned back to me, his eyes dark and resolute. "You are safe here, Elena. Neither the Ashfords nor anyone else in this city will ever lay a hand on you again."
