Chapter 10 - A NEW DAY AT THE CLUBHOUSE
Lorenzo walked over to the glass table, reaching down with his free hand to pick up the gold watch. He slipped it casually into his vest pocket without a second glance, caring far less about the expensive piece of metal than he did about the absolute integrity of his home.
He turned toward the private hallway, carrying Sophia back into the quiet sanctuary of his main office.
Inside, Sophia’s mother sat trembling on the leather sofa, holding a glass of water in her shaking hands. The moment she saw Lorenzo walk through the door carrying her daughter, she stood up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Sophia!" she cried out, reaching out her arms.
Lorenzo gently lowered the four-year-old girl down onto the couch beside her mother. Sophia immediately threw her small arms around her mother's waist, burying her face into her apron, holding her threadbare stuffed rabbit tightly against her side.
"It's over, Sarah," Lorenzo said smoothly, stepping over to his heavy wooden desk and leaning against the front edge, folding his tattooed arms across his chest. "Marcus stole the watch. He tried to frame you to cover his own tracks. He’s been stripped of his patch and banished from the state."
Sarah looked up at him in utter shock, her lips quivering. "Mr. Duca... I... I don't know what to say... I thought we were going to be thrown out onto the street..."
"No one is throwing you out," Lorenzo declared, his tone absolute and unshakable. "Starting today, your salary is doubled. You and Sophia are moving into the upper-tier residential suite on the second floor—the one with the balcony and the garden view."
Sarah gasped, holding her hand over her mouth in disbelief. "Mr. Duca... that's... that's too much! We can't accept—"
"You can, and you will," Lorenzo interrupted softly, a warm, rare gentleness returning to his dark features. "The Iron Kings protect their own. Anyone who works under this roof is family. And no one messes with my family."
Sophia turned her small head on her mother's lap, looking across the rug at Lorenzo. She offered him a small, bright smile—a pure, beautiful smile that illuminated the quiet office.
May you like
Pino walked into the room, stepping up to the sofa, and laid his massive head directly onto Sophia’s lap. The little girl giggled softly, reaching out her tiny hand to stroke the dog's soft black ears.
Lorenzo looked at the little girl, her mother, and his faithful dog, feeling a profound sense of peace settle over his heart. The storm had passed, the traitor was gone, and inside the sunlit walls of the clubhouse, a brand new chapter of loyalty and protection had just begun.
