Chapter 3 - THE SAFEHOUSE AT GREENWICH
An hour later, the black SUV pulled into the subterranean garage of a secure penthouse in Greenwich Village.
The penthouse was Vincent’s private sanctuary—a fortress equipped with reinforced steel doors, biometric locks, and bulletproof glass. Nobody in the Moretti family knew this place existed.
Elena walked slowly into the warm marble foyer, leaning heavily on Vincent's shoulder. Her strength was completely spent.
Lily ran from the elevator, launching herself into her mother's arms! "MAMA!"
"Oh, my baby girl!" Elena cried out, dropping to her knees and pulling Lily tightly into her lap, kissing her hair over and over again. "My sweet Lily... you were so brave. You saved us."
Vincent stood near the entrance, watching the mother and daughter hold each other.
Marco stepped up to Vincent's side, whispering under his breath. "Boss, the men we killed at the dock... I searched their pockets. No IDs. No phones. But they all had the same tattoo on their inner left wrist."
Vincent turned his head. "What tattoo?"
Marco pulled out a disposable phone and showed Vincent a high-resolution photograph.
On the dead gunman's wrist was the brand of an iron crown resting inside a viper's coils.
Vincent’s jaw tightened until the bone clicked.
"The Iron Serpent," Vincent muttered coldly. "Don Carmine's private black-ops squad."
Carmine Moretti—Vincent's uncle, and the powerful patriarch who had taken over the family business after Julian's death until Vincent was old enough to claim the seat.
It was Carmine who had brought the news of Julian and Elena’s deaths twelve years ago. It was Carmine who had handled the funeral arrangements. It was Carmine who had urged Vincent to take control of the family.
"Carmine arranged the blind date tonight," Vincent realized, his eyes darkening with absolute fury. "He knew Elena was coming to the city. He wanted me out of the house, distracted at a restaurant, while his wet-work team eliminated Elena and Lily at the docks."
"Why now?" Marco asked. "Why wait twelve years?"
"Because Julian left a ledger," Elena's quiet voice echoed from across the living room.
Vincent turned around.
Elena stood up, comforting Lily, who had finally fallen asleep on the plush velvet sofa. Elena walked over to the dining table, reaching into her torn skirt lining and pulling out a small, tarnished silver USB flash drive on a thin silver chain.
"Julian knew your uncle Carmine was embezzling money from the syndicate to fund human trafficking rings across Eastern Europe," Elena explained, her voice steadying. "When Julian threatened to go to the Commission, Carmine set the fire to execute him."
"Julian hid you," Vincent said, processing the pieces of the dark puzzle.
"Julian got me out through the laundry chute minutes before the explosion," Elena whispered, tears welling in her eyes again. "He gave me this flash drive and told me to hide Lily until she turned eighteen. But three days ago, Carmine's men tracked us down in upstate New York. I had nowhere else to run, Vincent."
She stepped closer to him, looking up into his dark, brooding eyes.
"I knew if I could just get Lily to you... you would protect her. You were the only man Julian ever truly trusted."
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Vincent looked down at the tiny silver drive in her hand. "Julian was my brother. And you..."
Vincent paused, his gaze lingering on her soft, pale lips before meeting her eyes. "...you were the only light this family ever had."
