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I linger for a moment longer, watching as Valentina smooths Leo’s dark curls, whispering something soft that makes him settle into the blankets. Her movements are deliberate, protective—no panic, no hesitation.

She looks up as I hesitate at the door. “Go,” she says firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We’ll be fine.”

The drive back to the estate is silent, but the storm inside me is anything but. My hands clench and unclench, and I barely wait for Marco to brake before I’m out of the car, the fury boiling over.

“Get everyone in the hall,” I bark, my voice sharp as a whip. Marco nods, already moving.

By the time I enter, the men are assembled, a sea of uneasy faces filling the grand space. I stop at the center, letting the weight of my silence settle over them.

“This,” I say finally, my voice low and deadly, “should never have happened.”

No one dares speak.

“Who was on car duty?” I demand, my glare sweeping the room like a blade.

A man steps forward reluctantly. Pietro—a veteran in the ranks, steady but clearly shaken under my scrutiny.

“Boss,” he says, his voice tight. “I checked everything myself. No signs of tampering. Tires, engine, routes—all clear before we left.”

“Then explain how they found us,” I snap. “Explain how my family was nearly caught in a trap.”

“I...I don’t know.” Pietro’s voice wavers, his gaze flickering nervously. “Unless...unless someone tipped them off.”

His words hang in the air like a noose. The room shifts uneasily, the implication cutting deep. My jaw tightens as I step closer, my presence bearing down on him.

“Are you suggesting there’s a traitor under my roof?” I growl.

Pietro pales, his voice a stammer. “No, Boss. I mean—it’s possible. But I don’t know for sure.”

The fire in my chest flares hotter. I turn, my voice cutting through the room like a thunderclap. “You have until tomorrow morning to find out what went wrong. If I don’t have answers, you’ll wish they’d killed you instead.”

The men scatter quickly, murmurs rippling through the hall. Marco appears at my side as I turn toward the study, my hands still balled into fists.

“Luca,” he says quietly, his tone careful, “your mother is waiting in the east wing. She wants to speak with you. Alone.”

I pause mid-step, my teeth grinding. If she’s involved herself, it means she has something I need to hear. I nod sharply. “All right.”

I find her in the private lounge, sitting with a composed elegance that hides the steel beneath. She rises as I enter, her sharp eyes studying me like only a mother can.

“Mamma,” I say, inclining my head. “What is it?”

She gestures for me to sit, but I remain standing, tension radiating off me. Her gaze narrows, cutting through me like a blade.

“You’re letting your anger rule you,” she says, her voice calm but firm. “And that will cost you everything.”

I sigh. “What’s this about? I don’t have time for lectures.”

Her eyes flash. “Then I’ll be direct. This... mess tonight? The brakes on the car? It wasn’t an accident.”

My stomach twists, a cold pit opening beneath my rage. “What are you saying?”

“I ordered it,” she says, her voice steady, her gaze locked on mine.

For a moment, the words don’t register, the weight of them too heavy to process. Then the cold turns to fire.

“You what ?” My voice rises, the force of my anger reverberating through the room.

Her expression doesn’t falter. “I gave the order. I had the brakes tampered with.”

I step forward, my hands trembling at my sides. “You’re telling me that you —my own mother—put my family’s lives at risk? Do you know what could have happened?”

Her gaze hardens, unyielding. “Of course, I know. You were not supposed to be in that car.”

I shake my head, disbelief and fury warring inside me. “You’ve gone too far, Mamma. Valentina is my wife. The mother of my son. What could possibly justify this?”

Her lips press together, but her voice remains calm, almost cold. “She doesn’t belong here. She doesn’t belong with you. And the longer she stays, the more danger she brings to this family. You think you can keep her safe? You can’t. She’ll be your downfall, Luca.”

“Stop,” I snap, my voice harsh. “You don’t get to make this decision for me. You don’t get to risk my family’s lives because you disapprove of my choices.”

“I did what I had to do,” she says sharply, stepping closer, her eyes blazing. “because you won’t listen to reason. That girl has no place in this world—our world. She’s soft, na?ve. And that softness will get you killed.”

I laugh bitterly. “You think you’re protecting me? By going behind my back and pulling this? You don’t protect someone by destroying what they love.”

Her voice drops, cold and cutting. “I’m trying to save you, Luca. She’ll bring you to ruin, and if you don’t see it now, you will when it’s too late.”

For a moment, the room is silent, the air between us crackling with tension. Then I shake my head slowly, a cold finality settling over me.

“No,” I say, my voice low but firm. “You don’t get to decide who I am or who I love. Valentina is my wife. And if you ever pull something like this again, Mamma, I swear to God, there will be no forgiveness.”

Her eyes narrow, and for the first time, I see a flicker of uncertainty. “You’re blinded by her, Luca.”

“Maybe,” I say, my voice cold as ice. “But I’d rather be blinded by love than poisoned by control.”

Without another word, I turn and leave the room, slamming the door behind me.

Marco is waiting in the hall, his expression cautious. “Everything all right, Boss?”

I take a deep breath. My mind is made up. “No,” I say shortly. “But it will be.”