THE MAFIA HEIR'S SECRET BABY: BOUND BY BLOOD, DECEPTION, AND DANGEROUS DESIRE

Three measured knocks resonated through the apartment door, sounding like the strike of a gavel handing down a death sentence.

"Stay behind me," Liam whispered, reaching instinctively toward the heavy iron wrench resting beside our toolbox on the kitchen counter.

"No, Liam, don't!" I grabbed his arm, terror flooding my veins. "You don't pull weapons on those men. It gets you killed."

I stepped toward the door, my heart hammering against my ribs so violently I could barely draw air. My hand shook as I turned the deadbolt and pulled the door open just a few inches.

Standing in the hallway was a man with steel-gray hair, a scar cutting across his left eyebrow, and a bespoke three-piece charcoal suit. I recognized him instantly from my father's old surveillance notes: Matteo Russo, Alessandro’s right-hand enforcer and personal head of security.

"Miss Emma Thorne?" Matteo’s voice was polite, smooth, yet laced with absolute authority.

"Yes," I managed to breathe. "What is this about? If this is about the catering company—"

"Mr. Vitali requests your presence," Matteo interrupted smoothly. "Immediately."

"I'm off the clock. I don't work for the Obsidian Hotel anymore," I stammered, gripping the edge of the door until my knuckles turned stark white. "Please tell Mr. Vitali I have exams and—"

"It was not a question, Miss Thorne," Matteo said, stepping forward just enough to prevent me from shutting the door. Two bulky men behind him moved into flanking positions. "A private car is waiting downstairs. Mr. Vitali dislikes repeating himself, and he certainly dislikes waiting."

"Hey! Back off!" Liam snapped, stepping into the doorway, putting his broad frame between me and the enforcers. "She said she's not interested. Get out of our building before I call the cops."

Matteo looked at Liam with mild amusement, as if looking at a barking toy poodle. "Young man, the police in this district answer to the man sitting in the back of that car. Step aside before your future as a paramedic ends before it begins."

Liam’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening, but I knew what the Vitalis were capable of. One word from Alessandro could make Liam vanish into Lake Michigan without a trace.

"Liam, stop," I begged, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder. "It’s okay. I’ll go."

"Emma, no! You don't know who these people are!" Liam protested, his eyes wild with dread.

"I’ll be fine. I'll take my phone," I lied, knowing full well that entering Alessandro Vitali’s world meant leaving every illusion of control behind.

I grabbed my jacket and purse, my fingers secretly pressing against the small bulge of the pregnancy test tucked into my bag. If they searched me, if Alessandro discovered what was growing inside me...

I walked down the stairs, flanked by the guards. When I reached the street, the rear door of the center Escalade swung open. The scent of Italian leather, rich tobacco, and expensive cedarwood wafted into the crisp morning air.

I slid onto the plush leather seat, the door slamming shut behind me with the heavy thud of an armored vault.

Sitting in the shadows beside me, wearing a crisp tailored navy suit with cufflinks made of black onyx, was Alessandro Vitali.

His piercing amber eyes fixed upon me, sharp as a razor, stripping away every defense I had constructed over the last six weeks. His dark jaw was shadowed with stubble, his imposing presence filling the spacious cabin until the oxygen felt dangerously thin.

"Hello, Emma," his deep, gravelly voice sent an involuntary shiver straight down my spine. "Or should I say... Elizabeth Vance?"