Chapter 2 - Vittorio Questions Bianca About The Clothes
Vittorio knelt on the scattered velvet cushions, his broad shoulders heaving as he held his terrified daughter tight against his chest.
The glittering chandeliers overhead cast a cold, clinical light across the chaotic expanse of the sprawling Westchester mansion’s grand library.
His dark eyes flicked downward again, tracing the coarse, frayed edges of the oversized gray sweater hanging limply from Lucy's frail frame.
It was stained with old dirt and dried mud, completely foreign to the bespoke designer children's wardrobe he paid a fortune to maintain.
“Look at me, sweetheart,” Vittorio whispered softly, gently cupping his daughter's tear-streaked chin with his large, calloused hand.
Lucy sniffled, her wide green eyes looking up at him with a mixture of raw fear and desperate, heartbreaking longing.
“Did Aunt Bianca put these clothes on you this morning before the sun even came up?” Vittorio pressed gently.
Lucy nodded slowly, burying her face back into the warm fabric of her father’s tailored dress shirt.
“She said I didn't deserve nice things... she said I was just a stray dog that needed to be broken,” Lucy sobbed quietly.
Vittorio’s jaw locked so tightly that a muscle pulsed violently along his cheekbone, threatening to unleash a fresh wave of fury.
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He stood up slowly, lifting Lucy safely into his arms while his piercing gaze locked onto Bianca across the room.
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