Chapter 16
The silence inside the destroyed house felt even more terrifying than the gunshots still echoing in Sara’s head.
She checked the bags for the third time, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hallway.
Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest. One hand stayed instinctively over her belly, as if she could protect her daughter from the entire world.
The house that had once been her refuge was now scarred with bullet holes in the walls, broken glass on the floor, and the sharp smell of gunpowder still hanging in the air.
Every step she took made pieces of wood and glass crackle under her feet, reminding her that the danger hadn’t been a nightmare.
It had been real. And it had almost cost her life—and the life of the baby she was carrying.
Sara stopped for a second in the middle of the living room, looking around.
The couch where she and Vincenzo had held each other only a few hours earlier was torn.
The coffee table was overturned. Everything looked different.
Colder. More dangerous. She ran her hand over her rounded belly, feeling a slight movement from the baby, as if her daughter was restless too.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” she murmured softly, her voice shaky. “Your daddy’s here… But if anything happens, Mommy’s going to protect you…”
She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince the baby or herself. When she pushed open the front door, she stopped in the doorway.
The street was filled with black SUVs parked strategically, blocking the way.
Police cars in the distance. Men in black suits and dark sunglasses moved around the property, checking the perimeter, the rooftops of neighboring houses, and even the cars passing by farther away.
It looked like a military operation, not an escort.
At the center of it all was Vincenzo.
He was speaking quietly with a few security men, gesturing in a controlled but firm way.
Beside him stood a tall, elegant woman with dark hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders.
The long black coat flattered her refined posture and the upright bearing of someone used to giving orders.
She seemed to belong to that world so naturally—maybe because she had probably been born into it.
Sara felt her stomach tighten hard. She didn’t need to ask who she was.
A chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the morning wind.
She was his wife…
Before she could look away, one of the men noticed her presence. Then another. In seconds, everyone was looking in her direction.
And then Vincenzo turned too.
His face changed immediately. The hard tension that had marked his expression vanished as if it had never existed.
His dark eyes softened when he saw her, and he walked over to her without hesitation, stopping at her side and placing one large hand on her back in a protective, natural gesture, as if he did it every day.
The heat of his palm seeped through the thin fabric of Sara’s coat, and she felt her shoulders relax a little, even though she didn’t mean to.
The two brothers watched the scene with interest. It was Lorenzo, the more talkative one, who broke the silence first, with a mischievous little smile that didn’t match the gravity of the moment.
“Well, well, little brother… our sister-in-law finally decided to show up and… What’s that?”
It was Mateo, the youngest brother, who spoke. “She’s pregnant, idiot. Pretty far along, from the looks of it.”
Lorenzo laughed. “Yeah, looks like our big brother wanted to mark his territory right away.”
Sara blinked, confused, looking from one to the other.
Mateo smiled at Vincenzo. “I don’t blame him. She’s beautiful. If she loved me, I would’ve done the same thing before she changed her mind.”
Lorenzo looked at Sara. “That one was sick over you, you know, miss…” He crossed his arms and tilted his head toward Vincenzo.
“Take good care of him. Next time, I think our brother’s going to end up in bed.
I felt sorry for his security guys—two of them quit.
He was in a terrible mood… Ah… What a woman can do to a man’s head. ”
Mateo laughed at his brother’s comment.
Vincenzo was already close to losing his patience. He closed his eyes for a second, already anticipating what was coming, but he didn’t let go of Sara.
“That’s enough, both of you,” he murmured, his voice low but without any real irritation.
“What? I was just introducing myself and wanting to meet our sister-in-law…” Lorenzo said, pretending innocence. “Besides, it’s the first time we’ve had the chance to meet the woman who made our older brother so… sentimental… I’m already a fan, miss…”
“God, Lorenzo… Sentimental? I can already see the day of your funeral coming…” Mateo repeated, laughing softly. “Don’t take offense. My brother only acts like that with people he cares about. And you look very beautiful pregnant. Our brother chose well…”
Sara felt her face heat up, but she couldn’t hold back a small smile. For the first time since the shooting the night before, the tension in her chest eased a little. The brothers were trying to lighten the mood, and somehow it was working.
That was when the woman approached with calm, elegant steps. Sara stayed still, watching her cautiously. She expected coldness, some sideways glance, any sign that she wasn’t welcome in this world that now formed part of her life.
Vincenzo looked at the woman. “Eleonora… You called them to come with you?”
“No… They had gone to your house looking for you and insisted on coming with me.”
Eleonora stopped at a respectful distance and looked directly at her with a gentle, calm smile. Her brown eyes were peaceful, almost maternal.
“Sara, right?” she said in a soft voice. “I’m Eleonora. I’m sorry everything is happening in such a… chaotic way.”
Sara blinked, not quite knowing what to say. The kindness was so unexpected that she almost didn’t know what to do with it.
Eleonora continued, still in that polite, welcoming tone, without a single trace of rivalry.
“I want you to know that you don’t need to worry about me.
Vincenzo and I were never a real couple.
We’re just friends. I know it’s hard to believe everything right now, but with time you’ll understand it all. You deserve to.”
Sara’s heart leaped so hard she had to take a deep breath. The relief was so great it almost made her dizzy. “You’re not…?” she asked, her voice coming out lower than she intended.
“No,” Eleonora confirmed with an understanding smile. “We never were. And we never will be. You can relax. I respect what you and Vincenzo have. And I respect even more the fact that you’re carrying his child.”
Sara felt relief, but she remained cautious. They were all criminals—they could lie easily while looking her in the eyes. For a moment she thought about what she had gotten herself into.
Vincenzo noticed. Of course he noticed. He always did.
His hand on her back made a calming movement, sliding up to her shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze.
Eleonora cast a soft look at Vincenzo before turning her attention back to Sara, excused herself, and then stepped away to speak with her security men.
Sara spoke quietly. “This is so strange…”
Vincenzo heard her and pulled her into a hug. “Eleonora has her own man. She already had someone before I met her… I’m all yours, *amore*.”
Lorenzo spread a map over the hood of one of the SUVs, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Today’s attack wasn’t random,” he said, serious now.
“Someone was investigating you, Vincenzo. Mateo was right when he suspected it that day. If there’s someone planning to kill you, this attack won’t be the last… They’ll definitely come again.”
The mood grew heavier. Everyone looked at each other. Mateo was the one who spoke. “We have three safe properties available… A house in Milan, a complex on the coast, and a cabin in the mountains. Each one has advantages and risks.”
Vincenzo studied the map for a few seconds, thoughtful. None of the options seemed to please him completely. He frowned, analyzing the access routes, the visibility, and how easy it would be to defend.
Then the younger brother pointed to an isolated area on the map.
“Here… I think it’s safer for keeping our sister-in-law and our nephew safe. Elevated terrain, only one access road, easy to defend. And most important… no one gets past without being seen. It’s discreet, far from everything, and we already have a team positioned in the area.”
Vincenzo analyzed the location for a few more seconds and nodded slowly.
“You’re right… Let’s go, then. I want to get there before nightfall. Besides…”
Everyone stopped to listen to Vincenzo. Sara stayed at his side, looking at him.
“It’s a girl… You’re going to have a niece.”
Mateo was the first to smile and turn his back to get into the car. “You’re officially screwed…”
Lorenzo walked over and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder with a sorrowful expression. “When she turns seventeen… Put her in a convent. You’re going to need it, little brother… Her beauty is definitely going to surpass both of yours.”
Sara smiled for the first time, laughing at her brothers-in-law’s drama—and especially at the look of surprise and shock on Vincenzo’s face. She figured he still hadn’t stopped to think about that.
Eleonora gave low, efficient orders to the security men. The brothers started organizing the vehicles and the exit routes. While everyone worked around them, Vincenzo looked at her a little traumatized.
“Do you think one day someone’s going to try to take my little princess away from me?”
Sara smiled and placed a hand on his face, trying to reassure the future dad. “No, honey… No one’s going to take your little princess away from you for the next eighteen years. And in that time, just show her what kind of man she’ll want to accept as her husband one day.”
“I hope it takes a very long time before she wants to find one.”
“We’re going to raise her very well… Don’t worry…”
A few minutes later, surrounded by a small fleet of armed vehicles, they left the city behind, heading toward the mountains.
Sara sat in the back seat of one of the SUVs. Vincenzo was driving, and Eleonora sat beside him to keep Sara safer if anyone tried to attack from the front. She lifted her gaze for a moment and saw Vincenzo’s eyes in the rearview mirror fixed on her.
She just smiled and moved her mouth, whispering softly, only for him to hear: “I trust you.”
That was fuel enough to keep Vincenzo ready for any war.