Lorenzo’s Pov
Chapter 11 Running In Circles
When I left the hospital and drove toward the mansion I couldn’t get the doctor’s words out of my head as I kept thinking.
Why would Enzo and Renata hide something like this from me?
I got to the mansion and ignored the greetings from the staff as I went straight to Enzo’s quarters.
He was in the lounge, sipping something from a glass, scrolling through his phone like he hadn’t been hiding something from me.
“You picked my call the night Ariella died,” I said, my voice low and cold.
He looked up. “Boss?”
“You told the doctor not to go through with the surgery. You said, and I quote, ‘Let her die.‘ That was your voice.”
Enzo’s brows furrowed. “Wait–what? No, Boss… Renata said you-”
He froze mid–sentence, clutching his throat.
“Enzo?” I stepped forward, watching confusion as panic flooded his face. “What’s going on-”
He dropped the glass. It shattered.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His face turned bright red. Then purple.
“Somebody call a doctor!” I shouted, grabbing him. His body convulsed. Blood foamed from the corner of his lips.
He was trying to say something.
Trying to speak.
Then silence.
His body went limp in my arms.
The doctor came out minutes later.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
7:16 Tue, Sep 9
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t say it,” I growled.
“He died before we could stabilize him. Fast–acting poison.”
I stared past the man, my fists clenched at my sides.
He was fine this morning.
He was about to tell me something… and now he was dead.
I wasn’t a fool. That wasn’t a coincidence.
I slammed open the bedroom door.
Renata sat on the edge of the bed, wiping fake tears from her face. She looked up, startled.
“You lied,” I said.
She blinked. “What?”
“You claimed Ariella’s body behind my back. You cremated her before I could see her. Why?”
“I… I… I was just trying to help,” she stuttered.
“To help? By hiding the fact that Ariella is dead?” I queried.
She shrugged, “You never treated her well because she’s not your daughter, I wanted her to have a proper burial.”
“What happened to Sophia? Who told you her mother couldn’t give her that?” I asked.
She frowned, “You barely gave Sophia breathing space, she was losing her mind and couldn’t handle burying her child.”
I frowned, “Why does it feel like there’s more to this story? How did Enzo get my phone the night Ariella died? How did you know about her death and i didn’t?”
I stepped closer–just one step–and suddenly, she let out a scream and grabbed her belly.
“I’m bleeding,” she whispered. “Lorenzo… the baby…”
I stared, frozen.
2/5 79.25%
7:16 Tue, Sep 9
Blood spread through her dress.
Shit.
Once again I was standing in front of the emergency ward twice today. First, Enzo, now Renata.
“She’s stable, but she needs monitoring overnight. The bleeding was from stress,” the doctor said when he stepped out.
I nodded, still numb.
Sophia was dead.
Enzo was dead.
Renata was bleeding.
Ariella was dead and cremated without my permission.
Nothing made sense anymore.
My phone rang.
My father.
“I’m waiting at the office,” he said. “Come now.”
He poured me a drink the moment I walked into his study.
“No welcome?” I muttered.
“You’ve embarrassed us,” he said. “The auction attack weakened our name. And now your personal mess is making you sloppy.”
I didn’t respond.
“The birthday gala for your grandfather is next week. No mistakes. No. chaos.”
I nodded once.
“And now that Sophia is dead, it’s time to make Renata your wife. Officially. The family needs stability.”
I stared at him.
“I just found out Sophia is dead and Ariella has been dead and buried for days. My right–hand man is dead. I haven’t had time to think.”
Chapter 11 Running In Circles
7:16 Tue, Sep 9
“I just found out Sophia is dead and Ariella has been dead and buried for days. My right–hand man is dead. I haven’t had time to think.”
“You don’t get time to think,” he snapped. “You show control or you lose. everything. Besides, didn’t you say Ariella isn’t your daughter?”
I looked up.
“That’s what Renata said,” I said slowly. “She showed me the test.”
My father laughed–loud and sharp.
“And you believed her? Just like that?”
I didn’t answer.
“Did you take the test yourself? Did you even see the original report?”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
“She wouldn’t lie,” I said, but my voice was hollow.
With everything I’ve found out today it seems something has been going on
and I haven’t found out the truth.
“She’s got everything to gain if that girl disappears,” he said. “Open your damn eyes, Lorenzo.”
My hands trembled slightly as I stood.
“I need to see something,” I whispered.
I went back to the hospital.
Straight to the morgue.
The staff hesitated when
thay Saw
- me.
“I want another DNA test,” I said. “Between myself… and Ariella Moretti.”
“Sir, her body was cremated by your wife’s order,” one of them said.
“You took blood samples before that,” I said. “Pull them.”
They nodded slowly.
“It’ll take a few days.”
“I don’t care,” I said. “Just call me when it’s ready.”
I stepped out into the hallway and leaned against the cold wall.
Chapter 11 Running In Circles
7:16 Tue, Sep 9
“She’s got everything to gain if that girl disappears,” he said. “Open your damn eyes, Lorenzo.”
My hands trembled slightly as I stood.
“I need to see something,” I whispered.
I went back to the hospital.
Straight to the morgue.
The staff hesitated when they saw me.
“I want another DNA test,” I said. “Between myself… and Ariella Moretti.” “Sir, her body was cremated by your wife’s order,” one of them said. “You took blood samples before that,” I said. “Pull them.”
They nodded slowly.
“It’ll take a few days.”
“I don’t care,” I said. “Just call me when it’s ready.”
I stepped out into the hallway and leaned against the cold wall.
If that little girl was mine… and I let her die thinking she wasn’t…
I closed my eyes, jaw tight.
I’d tear this whole world apart.
