Chapter 7 - ECHOES OF LILY
That night, the adrenaline faded into a profound, suffocating exhaustion. Back in the safety of the estate, I stood in the nursery, crying silently as I rocked Leo to sleep. The brush with death had shattered my emotional walls, bringing a tidal wave of grief for Lily. Lorenzo found me there, tears streaming down my face, shaking violently.
He didn't ask questions. He didn't offer tissues. He simply wrapped his large, warm arms around me, pulling me against his chest. "I couldn't save her," I sobbed into his shirt, the dam finally breaking. "I couldn't protect my little girl."
"I know," Lorenzo murmured, resting his chin on my head. "But you saved my boy. You stepped into the dark and brought him back to the light. You are the bravest woman I have ever known." We stood there for hours, a mourning mother and a grieving widower, finding a fragile, beautiful solace in the ruins of our pasts. When he finally tilted my chin up, his kiss was tentative, tasting of whiskey and salvation. It wasn't a fake display for his capos; it was a desperate claim on a shared future.
