Chapter 2 - The Intruder
I could barely breathe as Julian rushed the twins and me out of the restaurant.
Luca's parting words echoed relentlessly in my mind.
He had stolen my son's glass right in front of my face.
By midnight, the most powerful man in Chicago would have scientific proof that Leo and Mia were his heirs.
Julian drove us back to my quiet suburban neighborhood in complete silence.
"Nia, you need to tell me exactly what you want to do," Julian said as he parked the car.
"I have to pack our bags and leave the state tonight," I replied frantically.
"Luca has unlimited resources, and he will bury me in court to take full custody."
I unbuckled the kids and hurried them toward the front door of our modest home.
My hands shook violently as I fumbled with the house keys.
When the heavy wooden door finally swung open, my heart dropped into my stomach.
The house was completely destroyed.
Bookshelves were overturned, furniture was slashed, and shattered glass covered the hardwood floor.
"Stay behind me," Julian ordered, drawing a concealed firearm from his jacket.
I pulled the twins back onto the porch, covering their eyes to shield them from the destruction.
Someone had been searching for something very specific.
This was clearly not a random robbery.
Julian cleared the first floor and signaled that the intruders were gone.
I rushed inside to grab the emergency go-bag I kept hidden in the hallway closet.
The closet door had been ripped entirely off its hinges.
My hidden floor safe was completely cracked open.
The birth certificates and the medical files documenting my pregnancy were gone.
Panic seized my chest like a cold, unforgiving fist.
Suddenly, the headlights of three black SUVs illuminated my living room through the broken windows.
Heavily armed men in dark suits surrounded my house in seconds.
The front door was kicked open violently.
Julian raised his weapon, but a familiar voice commanded him to lower it.
Luca Moretti stepped into the ruined house, looking at the destruction with pure rage.
"Put the gun down, Julian, before my men kill you," Luca stated coldly.
I stepped in front of Julian, shielding him with my own body.
"Did you do this, Luca?" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.
"Did you destroy my home to steal their files?"
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Luca looked at me, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle ticked in his cheek.
"I did not do this, Nia, but the people who did are coming back to kill you."
