"By the time Luca Moretti saw me carrying his sleeping daughter down the staircase, my left ankle was already swollen inside my shoe.

With the board effectively silenced and Dominic in jail, Isabella was backed into a corner. And a cornered animal is the most dangerous kind.

It happened on a Friday afternoon. Luca was tied up in a mandatory legal deposition regarding the Romano lawsuit. I was picking Sofia up from her exclusive private kindergarten.

We were walking toward Marco, who was waiting by the bulletproof SUV, when a black van suddenly careened around the corner, hopping the curb.

"Get down!" Marco shouted, pulling his weapon.

I didn't think. I grabbed Sofia, threw my arms around her small body, and dove behind a thick concrete planter just as the van's side door slid open. Men in ski masks jumped out.

They weren't aiming for Marco. They were aiming for us.

Gunfire erupted, the deafening pops echoing off the school's brick walls. I pressed Sofia so hard into the dirt I thought I might crush her, shielding her entire body with my own.

"Keep your eyes closed, baby! Don't look!" I screamed over the noise.

Marco was returning fire, neutralizing one of the masked men. The school's armed security guards rushed out, adding to the chaos. Knowing they were outgunned, the remaining attackers scrambled back into the van. The tires shrieked as they reversed and sped away down the street.

I lay there in the dirt, gasping for breath, checking Sofia frantically for any blood. She was crying, terrified, but completely unharmed.

I, however, felt a burning sting on my upper arm. I looked down to see a graze wound—a bullet had torn through the fabric of my coat, slicing across my skin. It wasn't deep, but it bled heavily.

Marco was at my side in seconds, his face pale. "Emma. You're hit."

"I'm fine, Marco. Just get us in the car. We need to go. Now."

The ride back to the estate was a blur. By the time we drove through the gates, Luca was already standing in the driveway, surrounded by a small army of his security personnel. He had abandoned the deposition the second Marco called him.

When I stepped out of the car, holding Sofia, Luca saw the blood on my sleeve. A raw, guttural sound tore from his chest. He took Sofia, handing her to Mrs. Gable, and then scooped me into his arms, not caring about the blood staining his custom suit.