Chapter 7 - THE WIFE WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD
Lorenzo Rossi had imagined seeing Sophia again thousands of times.
In dreams.
In nightmares.
In the half-second after waking when grief hadn't yet reminded him what reality was.
But never like this.
Never standing in an abandoned Connecticut farmhouse while the woman he buried stared at him from twenty feet away.
His gun slipped from his hand.
Sophia flinched at the sound.
"Lorenzo."
He crossed the room.
Then stopped before touching her.
"Are you real?"
Tears filled her eyes.
"Yes."
His hand rose.
He touched her cheek.
Warm.
Alive.
Lorenzo pulled her into his arms.
Sophia broke.
For several minutes there was no mafia empire.
No guards.
No ransom.
No lies.
Only two people clinging to each other while months of grief collapsed between them.
Then Lorenzo pulled away.
"Our son."
Sophia closed her eyes.
"Alive."
"Where?"
"Safe."
"Take me to him."
"I can't yet."
His expression changed.
"You let me bury an empty coffin."
"I know."
"You let me believe you were dead."
"I know."
"I murdered people because I thought they killed you."
Pain crossed her face.
"I know."
Lorenzo stepped back.
"You knew?"
"Some."
"You knew what I was doing and stayed hidden?"
"If Marco knew I survived, he would have killed our son."
"Explain."
Sophia sat.
Hunter remained near the doorway.
She felt like an intruder witnessing the resurrection of a marriage.
But Sophia looked at her.
"You must be Hunter."
Hunter stiffened.
"You know me?"
Sophia began crying.
"I know what they did to you."
Hunter's heart stopped.
"Where is Grace?"
Sophia looked toward the bassinet Hunter had brought.
"That's Grace."
Hearing someone else say it made everything real.
Hunter's knees weakened.
Sophia continued.
"I am so sorry."
"What happened that night?"
Sophia took a breath.
"The explosion didn't kill me. It nearly did. Marco arranged for me to be taken to St. Catherine's before Lorenzo's people reached the hospital."
Lorenzo frowned.
"I was told the ambulance rerouted because Manhattan Memorial was full."
"Lie."
Sophia nodded toward Camilla.
"Camilla was already there."
"Why?"
"Marco had kidnapped her."
Lorenzo looked at Camilla.
She lifted her sleeve.
Old scars circled her wrist.
"He held me for four months."
Sophia continued.
"Marco wanted control of the Rossi network. He believed killing Lorenzo would split the organization. When the car bomb failed to kill him, Marco changed plans."
"The baby," Hunter whispered.
"Yes."
Sophia wiped tears from her face.
"He planned to take my son and use him as leverage."
Hunter's voice shook.
"So why switch him with Grace?"
"That was me."
Hunter stared.
Sophia's voice cracked.
"I had minutes. Maybe less. Camilla escaped the room where Marco's men held her. She found me after surgery. We knew Marco's people were coming."
Sophia looked at Hunter.
"Grace had been brought to the same neonatal unit."
Hunter went pale.
"You stole my daughter."
Sophia's eyes filled.
"I switched the identification bands."
Hunter stood.
"You let me believe she died."
"We didn't know they would tell you she died."
"You took my baby!"
Lorenzo moved instinctively between them.
Hunter pointed at Sophia.
"No. Don't protect her from me."
Sophia didn't move.
"You're right."
"I buried a coffin!"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't say that!"
Hunter's scream filled the farmhouse.
"Do you have any idea what I did after they told me Grace was dead? I went home and sat beside an empty crib for nine hours because I couldn't make myself take it apart."
Sophia sobbed.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
Hunter's voice broke.
"You saved your child with mine."
Sophia whispered, "Yes."
The admission was worse than an excuse.
Hunter picked up Grace.
"I'm leaving."
Lorenzo followed.
"Hunter—"
"Don't."
"You need protection."
"From who? Your wife? Your brother-in-law? Your sister? Maybe your gardener?"
"This isn't safe."
"Nothing about your family is safe."
She reached the door.
Sophia spoke.
"Marco never knew the switch happened."
Hunter stopped.
Sophia continued.
"He believed Grace was the Rossi heir."
"Then who poisoned her?"
"We don't know."
Hunter slowly turned.
Sophia looked at Lorenzo.
"That's why we couldn't come back."
Lorenzo stared.
Sophia continued.
"Someone inside your house tried to kill the baby they believed was ours."
Camilla placed documents on the table.
"We intercepted messages."
Mateo stepped closer.
"From whom?"
"Unknown sender. But they knew details only people inside the Rossi estate would know."
Lorenzo thought about nurses.
Doctors.
Staff.
Security.
Family.
"Why fake Marco's ransom video?"
Sophia's expression changed.
"We didn't."
Everyone went silent.
Lorenzo looked at her.
"You said Marco doesn't have my son."
"He doesn't."
"Then someone else does."
Sophia stood.
"No. My son is safe."
"Where?"
"With someone I trust."
Lorenzo's phone rang.
Unknown number.
His entire body went cold.
He answered.
The distorted voice returned.
"You found your wife."
Sophia went white.
Lorenzo stared at her.
The caller laughed.
"Did she explain why she never trusted you enough to tell you the truth?"
"Who are you?"
"Ask Sophia about Daniel."
Sophia's face changed.
Lorenzo noticed.
"Who's Daniel?"
She said nothing.
The caller continued.
"Ask your wife who really fathered the baby you're trying so hard to save."
The line disconnected.
Lorenzo stared at Sophia.
Hunter stopped breathing.
Camilla looked terrified.
Lorenzo's voice became almost inaudible.
"Sophia."
She closed her eyes.
"Tell me that isn't true."
May you like
Sophia started crying.
And her silence answered before her words ever could.
