While the cries of the disgraced staff faded into the roaring wind outside, the estate was locked into a state of total military readiness. Lorenzo carried Nora up the grand staircase, bypassing the servants' quarters entirely, and brought her into the master guest suite—a room draped in silk, velvet, and heated by an enormous gas fireplace.

Dr. Rossi, the syndicate’s personal on-call physician who had traveled with Lorenzo’s convoy, spent an hour examining Nora.

"Dehydration, extreme physical exhaustion, and mild Braxton Hicks contractions from stress," Dr. Rossi reported, adjusting his glasses as Lorenzo and Giovanni stood at the foot of the massive king bed. "The baby’s heartbeat is strong. But she requires absolute bed rest, high-calorie meals, and zero emotional shock for the next six weeks."

Nora sat propped against satin pillows, feeling utterly out of place in a room that cost more than her entire hometown. "I... I don't know what to say, sir. I was just doing my job."

"You weren't doing your job, Nora," Giovanni said, seated beside her mattress, patting her hand with paternal fondness. "You were being an angel in a house full of demons. You called my son a monster when you first saw him, didn't you?"

Nora flushed crimson, looking down at her fingers. "I... well..."

A rare, genuine smirk tugged at the corner of Lorenzo’s mouth. "She’s not wrong, Father. Most people run when I enter a room."

Before Giovanni could retort, the house intercom on the wall buzzed with sharp urgency. Silvio’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“Boss. We have a breach at the lower perimeter gate. A beat-up sedan crashed through the drifts. A civilian managed to get to the side entrance. He’s banging on the kitchen door demanding to see a maid named Nora.”

Nora froze. The color drained from her face. "Brody..."

Lorenzo noticed her reaction instantly. His jaw tightened. "Who is Brody?"

"The... the father of my baby," Nora stammered, her voice shaking with revived trauma. "He found me. He must have tracked the direct deposit from my agency... He owes fifty thousand dollars to loan sharks in Syracuse. If he's here, he's come to extort me."

Lorenzo reached out and gently smoothed a stray curl of hair from Nora’s damp temple. His touch was surprisingly warm, sending an electric shiver through her spine.

"Silvio," Lorenzo spoke into the wall comm, his voice dropping into pure ice. "Bring our guest into the cellar tasting room. Don't break his legs yet. I want to meet him personally."