CHAPTER 4; THE SOUND OF BETRAYAL

Elena's POV

The morning had been a trial, but the afternoon was a slow-motion execution. Dante had left for a "meeting," leaving me under the watchful eye of four guards who looked like they’d been carved out of granite.

​I sat in the library, the blue case file open in front of me, but my eyes weren't on the racketeering charges. They were on the grandfather clock in the corner.

​3:00 PM. Leo would be getting out of his third-grade class right now. If I didn't check in by 4:00 PM, his nanny, Maria, had strict orders: Pack a bag, take the emergency cash, and disappear. If they moved, I might lose my son forever in the chaos of my own disappearance.

​I stood up, my heels clicking sharply on the dark wood. "I need to use a phone," I told the guard, Vincenzo.

​"Don Valenti gave strict orders, Counselor. No outside communication."

​"I am a Lead Prosecutor," I snapped, pulling my 'Ice Queen' mask tight. "I have a witness in protective custody. If he dies because your boss is playing power games, the blood is on your hands."

​Vincenzo didn't blink. "The Don’s hands are already red, Signorina. He doesn't mind a little more."

​I turned away, my heart hammering. I had to find a way. I wandered the library until I reached the back corner—Dante’s private study. The door was locked, but the lock was old-fashioned. I looked back at Vincenzo; he was distracted by his earpiece.

​I reached into my hair, pulling out a sturdy bobby pin. Ten years ago, Dante had taught me how to pick a lock on a dare behind my father’s garden shed.

​Click.

​I slipped inside and closed the door softly. The study smelled of him—tobacco, leather, and the sea. On his desk sat a landline. I lunged for it, my fingers trembling as I dialed Maria’s number.

​Ring... Ring...

​"Maria! It’s me. Listen—"

​The door swung open.

​Dante stood there, his coat off, white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He didn't look angry; he looked disappointed, which was a thousand times worse. He walked toward me, his eyes fixed on the phone.

​"Who are you calling, Elena?" he asked, his voice a dangerous purr.

​"I... I was checking on a witness," I lied, my voice cracking.

​He reached out, his hand wrapping around mine on the receiver. He didn't pull it away. He held my hand there, forcing the connection, then pressed the phone to his own ear.

​"Hello?" Maria’s voice came through, sounding panicked. "Elena? Is that you? The boy is asking where you are—he won't put down his backpack until he sees you—"

​Dante’s eyes widened. The air in the room vanished. He didn't hang up. He stared at me, his grip on my hand tightening until it was white-knuckle painful.

​"The boy?" Dante whispered, his voice dropping to a terrifying level. "What boy, Elena?"

​I tried to pull away, but he slammed the receiver down and pinned me against the mahogany desk, his body a wall of heat and fury.

​"My men found an empty nursery today," he hissed, his face inches from mine. "And now I hear a woman talking about a boy who is waiting for you. A boy who is nine years old? The exact age my son would be if you hadn't told me he was dead."

​"Dante, please, he's just a witness's child—"

​"Liar!" He roared, the sound vibrating through my chest. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph—a grainy surveillance shot taken outside Leo's school an hour ago.

​In the photo, Leo was laughing, swinging his backpack. He looked exactly like the boy I had loved ten years ago.

​Dante’s hand trembled as he held the photo to my face. "He has my eyes, Elena. He has my father's chin."

​He leaned in, his voice a broken, jagged edge. "You didn't just betray me. You stole my son. And now? Now I’m not just taking your freedom. I’m taking him."

​He turned toward the door, shouting for his men. "Get the cars ready. We’re going to the cottage."

​"No!" I screamed, lunging for him. "Dante, stop!"

​He caught my wrists in one hand, spinning me around and dragging me toward the door. "You had ten years to tell the truth, Counselor. Now, the trial is over. It’s time for the sentencing."