Chapter 10 – The Promise in the Garden

The words hung in the quiet study, heavier and more profound than any threat or promise he had ever made as a syndicate boss.

The woman I am completely, irreversibly in love with.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.

I looked down at the delicate silver necklace resting in the velvet box, then up into Luca’s dark, unwavering eyes.

“Luca,” I breathed, the tears returning, but this time they were tears of pure, overwhelming relief.

He didn’t ask for permission. He gently lifted the silver chain from the satin bed.

“Turn around,” he whispered.

I turned, lifting my hair off my neck.

His warm fingers brushed against my skin as he fastened the clasp. The silver star pendant settled perfectly against my collarbone, a cold, beautiful weight anchoring me to him.

He rested his hands on my shoulders, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to the side of my neck.

A shiver ran down my spine.

“I don’t want you to be a maid, Sophie,” Luca murmured against my skin. “I don’t want you to be a nanny. I want you to be my partner. In everything.”

I turned back to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him down into a deep, passionate kiss.

All the fear, all the uncertainty of the past year melted away in his embrace.

We stood there for a long time, just holding each other in the quiet sanctuary of his father’s study.

But the real world, and the reality of who Luca was, couldn’t be ignored forever.

Answer one: Luca loved me, and I loved him.

Open two: The Romano family still existed, and Vanessa was still out there, somewhere.

“Luca,” I said softly, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. “What happens now? With the business? With the Romanos?”

His expression hardened slightly, the protective instinct flaring to life.

“The Romanos have backed down,” Luca explained, leading me over to the leather sofa. We sat down together, his arm securely wrapped around my waist.

“When Dominic realized Vanessa failed to get the deed, he cut his losses. He’s a businessman above all else. A war with me over a failed coup isn’t profitable for him.”

“And Vanessa?” I asked, a chill running through me at the thought of her.

“Vanessa,” Luca said, a dark satisfaction creeping into his voice, “fled the country. Without the Romano backing, and with the bank accounts frozen, she’s bankrupt. She’s currently hiding somewhere in South America, living in exile. She’ll never step foot in this city again.”

A reversal.

The woman who had tried to steal an empire and destroy a family was now living as a fugitive, stripped of everything she valued.

It was a fitting punishment.

“But what about you?” I asked, tracing the faint scar on his arm where Silas had cut him. “You’re still the head of the Moretti family. It’s still a dangerous life.”

Luca sighed, leaning his head back against the sofa.

“I’m transitioning the family out of the illicit trades,” he confessed, looking at me with a startling vulnerability. “It won’t happen overnight. It will take years to legitimize all our assets completely. But I’m doing it.”

He squeezed my hand.

“My father wanted to go legitimate before he died. He wanted a clean legacy for Adrian and me. I’m going to finish what he started. For Lily. And for you.”

He was changing his entire world, risking the wrath of the old-school syndicate bosses, just to ensure we had a safe future.

“I’ll help you,” I promised, resting my head against his chest. “Whatever you need, I’m here.”

The next week at Disney World was exactly what the family needed.

It was a week of pure, unadulterated joy.

Luca didn’t check his phone once. He wore shorts and sunglasses, carrying Lily on his shoulders through the theme parks, laughing louder than I had ever heard him laugh.

Teresa rode the gentle boat rides, smiling as she watched her son and granddaughter finally acting like a normal, happy family.

And I walked beside them, holding Luca’s hand, feeling the silver star resting against my collarbone.

When we returned to the mansion, spring had fully arrived on the mountain.

The gardens were bursting with color, the air smelling of blooming jasmine and fresh rain.

One evening, after Lily had gone to bed and Teresa was reading in her room, Luca asked me to take a walk with him in the gardens.

The estate was peaceful. The security guards kept a respectful distance, blending into the shadows.

We walked along the stone paths until we reached the large, ornate marble fountain in the center of the hedge maze.

The moon reflected brightly off the rippling water.

Luca stopped walking and turned to face me.

He looked nervous.

The fearless mafia boss, the man who had faced down assassins without blinking, was fidgeting with his hands.

“Sophie,” Luca began, taking a deep breath. “This past year has been the hardest of my life. I almost lost my daughter. I almost lost my brother. I almost lost my mother to a wheelchair.”

He reached out and took both of my hands in his.

“But through all the darkness, through all the betrayals, you were the one constant. You fought for us when you didn’t have to. You protected Lily when she wasn’t yours to protect.”

He stepped closer, his dark eyes shining in the moonlight.

“You aren’t just the woman I love. You are the heart of this family.”

He reached into his pocket.

I held my breath, expecting him to pull out a diamond ring.

But he didn’t.

He pulled out a small, ornate brass key.