Chapter 5 – THE AUCTIONING OF A MEMORY

Luca stood perfectly still under the dim light of the guest house, holding the stack of pale blue envelopes.

His hands, which I had seen effortlessly dismantle heavy weaponry, were trembling uncontrollably.

He stared at the faded white ribbon tying the letters together.

Emma wiped her eyes and looked up. “Daddy? What is it?”

Luca swallowed hard. He slowly turned the top envelope over so we could see the front.

Written in thick, dark blue ink were the words:

To my beautiful Emma. For your 11th Birthday.

Emma gasped.

Luca quickly flipped to the next envelope.

To my beautiful Emma. For your 12th Birthday.

He flipped through the rest. There were eight envelopes in total, counting all the way up to Emma’s eighteenth birthday.

Nora had known she was dying. And in her final months, she had secretly written letters for her daughter to read as she grew up, hiding them inside the false bottom of her favorite music box.

Eleanor pressed her hands to her mouth, tears streaming freely down her wrinkled cheeks. “She never told me. My brave, beautiful girl… she never told me she did this.”

Luca closed his eyes, pressing the letters against his chest. A ragged, heartbreaking sob tore from his throat. The mafia boss, feared by the entire city, stood in a dusty guest house and wept like a child.

Emma hugged his legs, crying with him.

I stood in the corner, tears blurring my own vision, feeling like I was intruding on a sacred moment.

But the moment was abruptly shattered.

“Well, isn’t that touching.”

We all spun around.

Standing in the doorway was Vivian.

She hadn’t left. While Vanessa and Chloe were likely packing in a panic, the matriarch of the Bellini family had sneaked back into the guest house. Her hair was messy, her eyes were wild, and she was clutching her expensive designer purse like a shield.

Luca’s sorrow instantly hardened into cold, lethal rage.

“I gave you ten minutes,” Luca said, his voice like grinding stones.

Vivian sneered, though I could see her hands shaking. “I’m not leaving empty-handed, Luca. My husband’s business is ruined without this merger. You humiliated us in front of the Donati family. The least you owe us is compensation for the time my daughter wasted playing mother to your brat.”

Luca took a slow, menacing step forward. “Compensation?”

“Yes,” Vivian snapped. She lunged forward, her hand darting into the open cedar chest.

Before anyone could react, Vivian snatched a small, velvet ring box that had been resting beneath the wedding veil.

Eleanor screamed. “No! That’s my grandmother’s ring! Nora was saving it for Emma!”

Vivian backed toward the door, clutching the ring box to her chest. “Consider it a severance package. This diamond alone will keep my family afloat for a year.”

She turned to run.

But Luca was faster.

He didn’t yell. He didn’t draw a weapon. He simply moved with terrifying, predatory speed.

He grabbed Vivian by the back of her expensive evening gown and slammed her hard against the doorframe. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and the ring box flew out of her hands, clattering onto the wooden floor.

I ran forward and scooped it up, holding it safely against my chest.

Luca leaned in close to Vivian’s face. His dark eyes were empty of all mercy.

“You think you can steal from my daughter in my house?” he whispered. “You think your husband’s little harbor business can protect you from me?”

Vivian was gasping for air, her face terrified. “Luca… please… we’re ruined…”

“You are worse than ruined,” Luca said softly. “By tomorrow morning, every bank in Chicago will freeze your accounts. Every business partner will drop your husband’s name. You won’t be able to buy a cup of coffee in this city without my permission.”

He released her, and Vivian collapsed to her knees, sobbing openly.

“Now get out,” Luca commanded. “Before I decide to keep you here permanently.”

Vivian scrambled to her feet and ran into the darkness, weeping hysterically.

The heavy silence returned to the guest house.

Luca took a deep breath, smoothing his suit jacket. He looked over at me, and I carefully handed him the velvet ring box. He opened it, ensuring the massive, antique diamond was still safe inside, then slipped it into his pocket.

He turned back to Emma and Eleanor.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said softly.

Eleanor shook her head. “You protected your family, Luca. Nora would be proud.”

Luca smiled sadly. He looked down at the stack of blue envelopes still resting on the edge of the chest. He picked them up and knelt down in front of Emma.

“These belong to you, sweetheart,” he said, placing the letters into her small hands. “Your mommy wanted you to have them.”

Emma held the letters like they were made of gold. She traced her mother’s handwriting with her thumb.

Then, she noticed something.

“Daddy?” Emma said, furrowing her brow.

“What is it, baby?”

Emma pulled the bottom envelope out from the stack. It was slightly thicker than the others, and it wasn’t made of blue paper. It was a crisp, white envelope.

“This one isn’t for me,” Emma said.

She held it out.

Luca took the white envelope. He stared at the front of it.

His face went completely pale.

Eleanor leaned forward. “Who is it for?”

Luca’s voice shook as he read the name written on the front.

“It’s for Vanessa.”