Chapter 5 - A Daughter’s Return
Over the next two weeks, the Marchetti compound underwent a complete transformation. The dark velvet curtains were pulled back, allowing bright spring sunlight to fill the marble corridors. The quiet, stern atmosphere vanished, replaced by the sounds of tutors, tailors, and the energetic laughter of a young girl running through the grounds.
Isabella adapted to her new life with incredible intelligence. Under the care of private educators, she absorbed years of missed schooling in weeks, showing a brilliant mind that mirrored her father's strategic instinct. But despite her new wealth, she remained humble, spending most of her time in the estate gardens with her father and her two giant guardians.
Rocco and Ulisse never left her side. Whether she was reading in the library, taking riding lessons at the estate stables, or resting in the garden, the two Cane Corsos maintained a constant three-foot perimeter around her.
"They don't view themselves as pets, do they?" Isabella asked one afternoon, sitting on a stone bench in the rose garden while Aldo watched her with a fond smile.
"They view you as their pack leader," Aldo said, handing her a glass of cold peach juice. "When you were two years old, before the tragedy, your mother would put Rocco and Ulisse’s mother in your nursery every night. It’s in their blood to guard you."
Isabella touched her silver locket. "Papa... Mateo told me someone bad is coming tonight."
Aldo paused, his expression softening as he knelt before her. "You don't need to worry about business, my child."
"I’m not worried for myself," Isabella said, looking directly into his dark eyes with startling maturity. "I remember the night of the fire, Papa. I remember a man with cold gray eyes standing over my crib while Mama was screaming. I remember the smell of cigars and copper."
Aldo’s heart ached. "That man will never harm anyone again after tonight. I swear it to you."
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Suddenly, Mateo stepped into the garden, his face grim as he checked his tactical earpiece. "Boss, Silvio’s private jet just landed at Midway. He didn't come alone. He brought sixteen heavily armed mercenaries from his Miami detail under the pretense of 'executive protection.'"
Aldo stood up slowly, his posture turning back into that of an unyielding monarch. "Let him bring an army. A traitor dies best in the house he tried to steal."
