Chapter 5 - The Confession
Camryn didn't sleep a wink.
When the sun rose, casting a golden hue over Manhattan, she was already dressed, pacing her room.
She had to tell Matteo.
But how?
He was a mafia boss. Silas was his family. Would he believe a maid over his own uncle?
At 7:00 AM, there was a knock on the door.
Matteo walked in, dressed in a sharp black suit. He looked tired, the shadows under his eyes prominent.
"I'm leaving for the docks," he announced. "I'll be back by dinner. Dante is in charge of security."
"Don't go."
The words slipped out of Camryn’s mouth before she could stop them.
Matteo paused, his hand on the doorknob.
He turned back, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Excuse me?"
Camryn’s heart pounded. She walked up to him, looking up into his dark, intimidating eyes.
"Please," she begged, her voice trembling. "Don't go to the docks today."
Matteo studied her.
He noticed her pale skin, the dark circles under her eyes, the nervous way she was twisting her fingers.
"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping closer. The mafia boss melted away, replaced by a man genuinely concerned.
"Last night," Camryn whispered, "I heard you and Silas."
Matteo’s face hardened instantly. "You shouldn't be eavesdropping, Camryn."
"I heard him in the hallway after he left your study," she rushed out, grabbing his sleeve. "He made a phone call. He said you wouldn't let me go. He told someone to prepare a strike team for today while you were at the docks."
Matteo froze.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Camryn let go of his sleeve, terrified she had overstepped.
"Are you sure?" Matteo asked, his voice eerily calm.
"I swear on my mother's life," she pleaded. "He's the mole, Matteo. He's the one who wanted Isabella dead."
She didn't realize she had used his first name.
But he did.
Matteo looked at this girl.
She had no weapons, no power, no money.
Yet, she stood between his son and the most dangerous men in New York.
He reached out, his large, rough hand gently cupping her cheek.
Camryn gasped softly at the touch. It was warm, surprisingly tender.
"You are the bravest woman I have ever met," he murmured, his thumb brushing against her skin.
For a fleeting second, the space between them vanished. Camryn looked up, getting lost in his stormy hazel eyes. She saw the pain he carried, the crushing weight of his world.
And he saw her pure, untainted light.
Matteo pulled his hand back, his expression turning to stone.
"Pack a bag for Leo," he ordered, his voice all business again. "Pack one for yourself. You're not staying here."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You're going to my private safehouse in the Hamptons," Matteo said, pulling out his encrypted phone. "Dante will drive you."
"What about you?" she panicked.
May you like
Matteo smiled. It was a terrifying, bloodthirsty smile.
"I am going to the docks," he said. "Because Silas expects me to. And it would be rude to disappoint him."
