Chapter 7 - The Master Wakes
The first thing Aleandro saw was the morning light. The second thing he felt was the heavy, comforting weight of his hound across his legs.
And the third thing he heard was the soft crunch of a croissant.
Aleandro slowly turned his head. His dark eyes, usually cold and sharp as flint, softened instantly as he saw the tiny girl sitting on his bed.
"Lily," he rasped, his throat dry as sandpaper.
Lily stopped chewing, her eyes lighting up. "Mr. Lee! You woke up!"
Bruno’s head snapped up. The massive dog let out a joyful, high-pitched whimper, scrambling up the bed to nudge his wet nose against Aleandro's cheek, licking his forehead with frantic devotion.
"Easy, boy... easy," Aleandro chuckled weakly, wincing as the movement pulled at his side stitches. He reached out a pale, heavy hand, burying his fingers deep into Bruno's thick neck fur. "Good boy, Bruno. Good boy."
Marco stepped into the room, stopping at the foot of the bed, his head bowed in deep respect. "Boss. You shouldn't be moving."
"Vance?" Aleandro asked, his voice rough.
"In the cellar," Marco replied quietly. "The Morellos paid him off. We secured the estate, purged the north gate security staff, and locked down our shipping lines in Providence. The Morellos think you're dead."
Aleandro let out a slow, dark breath. A deadly, calculated calm settled over his pale face—the look that made the underworld tremble.
"Let them think I'm dead for two days," Aleandro said softly. "Let Dominic Morello bring his men into the city to claim my territory. We will end this permanently."
He turned his gaze back to Lily, who was holding out a small piece of her croissant toward him. "Eat, Mr. Lee. Makes the boo-boo better."
Aleandro took the small piece of bread and ate it obediently.
He looked up at Marco. "Where is Clara?"
"Outside the door, Boss," Marco said. "She’s been terrified to come in."
"Bring her in," Aleandro commanded.
Clara stepped nervously into the room, her hands folded over her apron, her eyes red from crying. "Mr. Aleandro... I am so sorry... Lily wandered out, I tried to stop her—"
"Clara," Aleandro interrupted softly, cutting off her panic.
He looked at the maid, then at the little girl sitting on his bed, and finally at the dog who had refused to let anyone else save his life.
"Your daughter saved my life last night," Aleandro said, his voice absolute and heavy with authority. "This house... everything I own... is under her protection. From this day on, you are not staff in this house. You are family."
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Clara gasped, covering her mouth as tears spilled over her cheeks.
"Marco," Aleandro continued, looking at his underboss. "Prepare the war room. We have a syndicate to erase. But first... get Lily a chocolate button from my desk."
