Chapter 6 - The Iron Fortress
Ten minutes later, the diner's back alley was filled with the rumble of four armored SUV engines.
Enzo had risen from the floor, his face transformed. The grief and shock that had undone him minutes earlier had crystallized into an absolute, terrifying aura of protection.
He held Nora's heavy winter coat open for her, helping her slide her arms into the sleeves with a tenderness that made Marge's jaw drop.
"I can walk on my own," Nora said quietly, though her legs were shaking so badly she could barely keep her balance.
"I know you can," Enzo said softly, wrapping his arm securely around her waist, taking her entire weight against his chest. "You've been walking alone for four months. You don't have to anymore."
He turned to Marge, pulling a thick envelope of cash from Rocco's coat and setting it on the counter. "Thank you for taking care of her."
"I didn't do it for your money, mister," Marge snapped, her eyes narrowing at Enzo. "She's a good girl. You treat her right, or I've got truckers in here who will throw you into the river."
For the first time in ten years, a faint, genuine smile touched Enzo's lips. "If I ever hurt her again, lady, you can help them."
They stepped out into the freezing rain. Enzo shielded Nora's body with his own cashmere coat, lifting her gently into the spacious, heated leather interior of his private Maybach.
As the heavy armored doors clicked shut, sealing out the roaring storm, Nora sank into the plush seats, feeling the sudden, overwhelming warmth envelope her aching body.
Enzo slid in beside her, pulling a soft cashmere blanket over her legs, his eyes scanning her face with hyper-vigilant care.
"Where are you taking me?" Nora asked, her hands tightening around the seatbelt. "Back to the penthouse?"
"No," Enzo said, taking her cold hand between both of his warm palms. "Vittoria is at the penthouse. She doesn't know about tonight, and she never will. I'm taking you to the estate in Lake Forest."
Nora blinked. The Lake Forest estate was the Marchetti family's private, heavily fortified compound outside the city—a place surrounded by ten-foot stone walls, security towers, and thirty armed guards. It was where the family went when they were preparing for war.
"Why Lake Forest?" she whispered.
Enzo looked into her eyes, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. "Because when Vittoria and her father find out that I am breaking our engagement tonight, and that the woman carrying my heirs is under my protection, they will try to hit us. Lake Forest is an iron fortress. No one touches you there. No one."
Nora looked out the tinted window as the city lights blurred past in the freezing rain.
She had spent four months hiding in a cold, drafty apartment, fighting for survival on waitress tips. Now, in the span of an hour, she was being swept into the very heart of an empire's war room.
"Enzo," she said softly, looking back at him.
He leaned in instantly. "Tell me. Whatever you need, tell me."
"I don't want your money," she said, her voice steady and clear despite her exhaustion. "And I don't want to be a secret in a golden cage. If I stay at your estate, it's for the safety of my children. Not because I'm yours."
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Enzo looked at her—at the quiet strength in her eyes that had survived his coldest cruelty—and felt a wave of profound respect wash over his soul.
"I know," he whispered, bending his head to press a long, reverent kiss against the back of her hand. "I don't expect you to forgive me tonight, Nora. I don't expect you to trust me tomorrow. I will spend the rest of my life earning the right to ask for your heart. But tonight... just let me keep you safe."
