Chapter 5 Bloodlines and Threats

The sharp trill of Lorenzo's phone cut through the quiet morning like a blade.

Aria stirred in the penthouse's sunlit kitchen, flipping pancakes while Leo sat at the island, swinging his legs and humming to himself. For a fleeting moment, it felt almost normal-until Lorenzo's voice turned to ice.

"Say that again." His tone dropped, laced with lethal calm.

Aria's hands froze mid-air.

Lorenzo ended the call abruptly and strode toward her. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his jaw was unmistakable.

"The DNA results are in," he said.

Aria's heart pounded.

"And?" she whispered, though the answer was obvious.

"He's mine." His lips twitched into a bitter smile. "Not that there was ever a doubt."

Relief, fear, and a thousand tangled emotions rushed through Aria all at once. The truth was now undeniable. There would be no escaping this.

But before she could process, Lorenzo's next words chilled her to the bone.

"And so does the Rossi family. They know about Leo."

The name slammed into her like a freight train.

"The Rossis? How?" she gasped.

Lorenzo's eyes darkened. "I've been cleaning up leaks, but someone within my circle betrayed me. They want Leo. He's Valentini blood, and that makes him a valuable pawn."

Aria's legs weakened. She gripped the counter for support, her gaze darting to Leo, who was obliviously drawing with crayons.

"They'll try to take him, Aria," Lorenzo said, his voice low but vibrating with fury. "But over my dead body."

Aria looked up at him, her defenses crumbling. "What are we going to do?"

Lorenzo stepped closer, his presence wrapping around her like a shield. "First, we move you both somewhere safer. My estate in the Hamptons-no one gets in or out without my say."

"I don't want him growing up in a fortress," she whispered, though her resolve was faltering.

"He's not safe in the open, Aria. You need to accept that." He cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "You trusted me once. You'll have to do it again."

The vulnerability in his touch, the raw protectiveness-it was so different from the cold Mafia Prince the world feared. She realized, perhaps for the first time, that this wasn't just about power for Lorenzo. This was personal.

Later That Day – The Ambush

The black SUV glided through Manhattan's streets, Aria and Leo nestled inside with Lorenzo and two of his most trusted bodyguards. Tension clung to the air like static.

They were minutes from the Valentini private airstrip when it happened.

A sudden screech of tires.

A delivery van veered recklessly, blocking their path. Two black sedans boxed them in from the rear. Men in tactical gear poured out, guns raised.

"Get down!" Lorenzo barked, shoving Aria and Leo to the floor of the SUV as bullets rained against the armored exterior.

"Rossi bastards," his underboss, Giovanni, snarled, returning fire from a cracked window.

Leo clung to Aria, trembling. "Mommy, what's happening?!"

"It's okay, baby, I've got you," she whispered, though terror threatened to consume her.

Lorenzo's voice cut through the chaos. "Stay down. Nobody touches my family."

With calculated precision, Lorenzo and his men retaliated, their firepower decimating the ambushers in minutes. But it wasn't enough to calm the storm in his chest.

They dared come for his son. His blood.

Safe House – The Aftermath

The Valentini estate in the Hamptons was a sprawling fortress, a perfect blend of elegance and impenetrable security. Aria stood on the balcony, arms wrapped around herself, as the events replayed in her mind.

Lorenzo found her there, his steps surprisingly soft.

"They're sending a message," he said quietly, standing beside her.

"They tried to take our son," Aria said, her voice brittle. "That's more than a message."

His hand brushed hers, tentative yet firm. "You see now why I couldn't let you run?"

"I see now why I'm terrified of staying."

He turned to face her, the cold Mafia Prince replaced by a man on the brink. "I wasn't given a choice when I was born into this life. But Leo... he's my second chance. And I'll burn the world before I let anyone use him against me."

Aria's breath caught. The man who had once been a fleeting memory, a dangerous regret, was now standing here-raw, unguarded. Not the Mafia Prince. Just a man who wanted to protect his family.

"I'm not your enemy, Aria," he murmured.

She didn't resist when he reached out, pulling her gently into his arms.

For the first time in five years, she allowed herself to lean on him.

But deep down, she knew-this was just the beginning.