THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME SERVE HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER WITH MY LEFT HAND WRAPPED IN A BLOODSTAINED NAPKIN—

The red dot hovered perfectly between his eyes.

Mrs. Whitmore’s son—the man who had loved and raised Luca's stolen daughter—froze on the top step of the grand staircase. He clutched nine-year-old Lily tightly to his chest, shielding her body with his own.

The entire foyer below had gone dead silent. The guests weren't just shocked anymore; they were held hostage.

Standing by the front doors, holding a high-powered tactical rifle with a laser sight, was Vanessa’s father.

Dr. Arthur Bellini.

He was a wealthy, respected surgeon in Chicago. But tonight, wearing a dark trench coat over his tuxedo, he looked exactly like the ruthless syndicate boss he truly was. Ten armed men stood behind him, blocking the exits.

"Put the girl down, Thomas," Dr. Bellini commanded, his voice echoing up the marble staircase.

Thomas Whitmore didn't move. He just tightened his grip on Lily, who was sobbing into his neck.

"You're not taking her back to that clinic, Arthur," Thomas yelled down. "I gave you six years of my life. I let you lie to me about where she came from. But I'm not letting you destroy her."

Luca stepped out of the West Wing corridor, his knuckles bruised and bleeding from knocking out Marco.

When Luca saw the laser sight on Thomas, and the men blocking the doors, he didn't draw a weapon. He simply walked to the top of the stairs and stood directly beside Thomas, placing his own body in the line of fire.

"Dr. Bellini," Luca said, his voice carrying the terrifying calm of a man who had nothing left to lose. "You forged a death certificate. You kidnapped a Moretti blood-heir. You have thirty seconds to walk out my front door before I have my snipers put a hole in your chest."

Dr. Bellini laughed, a dry, rasping sound.

"Your snipers have been neutralized, Luca," the doctor said smoothly. "My men poisoned their coffee thermos an hour ago. They're sleeping very peacefully on your roof."

My blood ran cold. The security breach wasn't just Marco. Vanessa and her father had completely compromised the entire estate.

Vanessa emerged from the hallway behind us, holding her bruised shoulder where I had shoved her. Her red silk gown was torn, but she smiled triumphantly as she looked down at her father.

"Did you secure the perimeter, Dad?" Vanessa called down.

"Everything is locked, sweetheart," Dr. Bellini replied. He shifted his aim from Thomas to Luca. "Now, Luca, you are going to sign the transfer of your offshore accounts to the Bellini Foundation. Then, Vanessa will take the child, and we will leave you to mourn your tragic losses."

Luca stared down at the doctor.

"I will burn Chicago to the ground before I sign my daughter over to you," Luca said.

"Then I'll just shoot you, Thomas, and the maid, and take her anyway," Dr. Bellini sneered.

I shrank back against the banister, my left hand throbbing in agony. I was holding the folded piece of paper Thomas had given me—the clinic records.

If they killed us, those records would be destroyed. The truth would die here.

I looked down at the paper. Then, I looked at the massive, crystal chandelier hanging directly over the foyer, right above Dr. Bellini and his men.

I remembered what Mrs. Carter had told me that morning.

“Anna, don't use the main switch for the chandelier. The wiring is faulty. It sparks if you flip it too fast.”

The electrical panel was on the wall right next to me, hidden behind a decorative mahogany panel.

I didn't wait for Luca to negotiate.

I reached out with my uninjured right hand, flipped the mahogany panel open, and grabbed the heavy brass switch for the chandelier.

"Mr. Moretti! Get down!" I screamed.

I yanked the heavy switch downward with all my strength.

A massive shower of blue sparks exploded from the panel. The surge sent a terrifying jolt through the old wiring.

The enormous crystal chandelier above the foyer groaned. The reinforced steel cable holding it snapped with a sound like a gunshot.

Dr. Bellini looked up just in time to scream.

Two thousand pounds of glass, steel, and crystal crashed down directly onto the marble floor.

The impact was deafening. Shards of glass exploded like shrapnel. Dust and smoke instantly filled the foyer. The armed men scrambled blindly, coughing and shouting in the chaos.

"Thomas, move!" Luca roared.

Luca grabbed Thomas by the collar, hauling him and Lily back from the edge of the stairs.

"Anna, the library! Now!" Luca yelled, grabbing my arm.

We sprinted down the second-floor hallway, away from the stairs, just as blind gunfire began chewing into the plaster walls behind us.

We burst into the massive, two-story library. Luca slammed the heavy oak doors shut and threw the deadbolt.

Lily was crying hysterically in Thomas’s arms.

"It's okay, baby," Thomas whispered, rocking her. "Daddy's here."

Luca watched Thomas soothe the child. The mafia boss, who had just discovered he was a father, had to stand by and watch another man comfort his daughter. The pain in Luca's eyes was agonizing.

But there was no time for grief.

Luca went to the massive stone fireplace and pushed a hidden button under the mantle. The bookshelf swung open, revealing a reinforced steel panic room.

"Get inside," Luca ordered.

Thomas carried Lily in. I followed, clutching my bleeding hand.

But Luca didn't step inside.

He grabbed a heavy assault rifle from a rack inside the door and racked the slide.

"Mr. Moretti, what are you doing?" I panicked.

"I have to hold them off until my backup arrives," Luca said, his eyes hard.

Then, Luca reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy gold pocket watch. He handed it to Thomas.

"If I don't make it," Luca said quietly, "give this to her when she's older. Tell her... tell her I never stopped loving her mother."