Chapter 5 - The Godfather's Wrath
The two guards grabbed Elena by her arms, dragging her roughly toward the main courtyard as Mia wept frantically, clinging to her mother’s skirt.
"Let go of her!" Elena screamed, fighting with all her strength. "She's hurting him! Leo can hear! Search his room! Look at the drops!"
"Shut your mouth!" one of the guards growled, shoving her toward the iron gates as rain began to fall from the darkening sky.
"What is the meaning of this?"
A voice like thunder shattered the rain-heavy air.
Dominic stood on the grand front steps of the mansion. He was surrounded by four of his top lieutenants, dressed in a sleek black suit, his face cold enough to freeze the ocean.
The guards instantly froze, releasing Elena’s arms.
Vanessa swept down the steps, her posture delicate, her eyes filled with fake, dramatic tears. "Oh, Dominic! Thank God you're here! This crazy maid attacked me in the conservatory! She was pulling on poor Leo, screaming at him, completely unhinged! I had to have security remove her before she traumatized your son further!"
Dominic didn't look at Vanessa.
His eyes traveled down to Elena, who was standing in the wet gravel, her cheek bruised red, her hair messy, but her dark eyes burning with an unshakeable, fierce conviction. Mia was hiding behind her, weeping softly.
Dominic walked down the stone steps, his heavy leather shoes crunching on the gravel. He stopped two feet from Elena.
"Did you touch her?" Dominic asked Elena, his deep voice unnaturally quiet.
"No, sir," Elena said, her chin lifted high, refusing to let a single tear fall. "She struck me because I discovered the truth. Your son is not deaf, Mr. Moretti. He just spoke to me."
Vanessa gasped dramatically. "Dominic, she’s insane! Leo hasn't spoken a word since his mother died three years ago! Dr. Vance confirmed his auditory nerves are dead!"
Dominic reached into his inner suit pocket. He pulled out a thick, manila folder and tossed it onto the wet hood of his car.
"Dr. Vance was arrested twenty minutes ago at JFK Airport trying to board a flight to Switzerland," Dominic revealed calmly.
Vanessa’s face drained of every ounce of color. She took a involuntary step back. "W-what?"
Dominic stepped closer to Vanessa, his massive frame blocking out the light, radiating a terrifying, lethal aura that made even his hardened guards take a step back.
"My security team went through Vance’s private lab this morning," Dominic whispered, his voice vibrating with absolute fury. "Do you know what they found, Vanessa? They found monthly wire transfers of two hundred thousand dollars coming directly from your offshore trust fund."
Vanessa began to tremble violently. "Dominic... listen to me... it’s not what you think—"
"They also analyzed the amber drops," Dominic continued, his gray eyes flashing like daggers of fire. "It wasn't nerve medication. It was a rare, highly concentrated ototoxic chemical toxin designed to cause severe nerve inflammation, temporary auditory paralysis, and intense physical pain whenever he tried to listen or speak."
Elena gasped in horror, clutching Mia against her chest.
Dominic turned his terrifying gaze fully onto Vanessa. "You kept my son deaf, terrified, and mute for three years. Why?"
Vanessa fell to her knees in the wet gravel, sobbing in absolute terror. "Because he saw me!" she cried frantically. "Three years ago... the night your wife died... it wasn't a rival syndicate attack, Dominic! She found out I was stealing money from the family foundation! She was going to tell you! I... I pushed her down the stairs! And the boy was standing at the top of the landing! He saw everything!"
A suffocating silence descended upon the courtyard.
Elena felt the blood run cold in her veins. The sheer evil of the revelation hung heavy in the rainy air.
Dominic stood completely still. For three long seconds, he didn't move, he didn't breathe, he didn't even blink. The grief, rage, and betrayal of three agonizing years exploded inside his soul, burning away every shred of mercy he possessed.
"Gabriel," Dominic said softly.
Gabriel stepped forward. "Yes, boss?"
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"Take her to the basement," Dominic commanded, his voice cold as a grave. "Make sure she suffers for every single drop she put into my son’s ears."
"No! Dominic, please! Mercy!" Vanessa screamed as two guards dragged her kicking and weeping down into the dark underbelly of the estate. Her shrieks faded into the distance until the rain swallowed them whole.
