Chapter 6 – THE GOLD WATCH
I stared at Luca, my heart skipping a beat.
“Mr. Moretti, I—”
“My father owed your father his life,” Luca said, his dark eyes intensely serious. “I owe you my mother’s life. You will never wear a uniform in this house again. You are under my personal protection. You will work directly for me as my executive assistant, and your mother will never have to work another shift at that grocery store.”
I covered my mouth, a sob escaping my lips.
For a year, I had scrubbed these floors. I had been humiliated by Vanessa, terrified of the men who walked these halls, and desperate for every paycheck.
Now, the boss of the Chicago syndicate was offering me his absolute loyalty.
Teresa reached out and squeezed my hand.
“Welcome to the family, sweetheart,” she whispered.
The next few weeks were a blur of reconstruction.
The shattered windows were replaced. The security gates were fortified. The Romanos, crippled by the ledger we found in the vault, were completely dismantled by the FBI and Luca’s aggressive retaliations.
But the most important change was inside the house.
On a bright Tuesday morning, I walked through the front doors wearing a tailored navy pantsuit instead of a gray maid’s uniform.
The sound of drills and hammers echoed in the foyer.
Three carpenters were meticulously installing a stunning, solid mahogany handrail along the marble staircase. It was braced with wrought iron, strong enough to hold a car.
Luca was standing at the bottom of the stairs, a cup of coffee in his hand, watching them work.
He looked up as I walked in.
His dark eyes softened.
“You look nice, Hannah,” he said quietly.
A blush crept up my neck. “Thank you, Luca.”
It still felt strange to call him by his first name, but he had insisted.
“How is your mother?” he asked, stepping away from the stairs to walk beside me.
“She’s in shock,” I laughed lightly. “When you bought the grocery store and made her the owner… she cried for three days.”
Luca smiled. It was a rare, genuine expression that transformed his intimidating face into something strikingly handsome.
“She earned it,” he said. “Your father earned it.”
He stopped outside his private study and pushed the heavy oak door open.
“Come inside,” he said. “I have something for you.”
I followed him into the study. The room smelled of leather, rich tobacco, and old paper.
Luca walked over to his massive desk. He picked up a small, velvet box.
He turned around and handed it to me.
“I found this in my father’s personal safe yesterday,” Luca said. “It had a note attached to it, addressed to Thomas.”
I took the box. My hands were trembling slightly as I popped the lid open.
Inside rested a vintage gold pocket watch. It was beautifully engraved with intricate vines and leaves.
I turned it over.
On the back, etched in elegant script, were the words:
To my brother, Thomas. For time well spent. — Giovanni.
A tear slipped down my cheek and landed on the gold casing.
“He considered my dad his brother,” I whispered.
“They were blood,” Luca said gently. “In the only way that matters.”
He took a step closer to me.
The air in the study suddenly felt very thick.
Luca was a dangerous man. He lived in a violent world. But standing here, looking down at me, there was nothing but profound respect and a quiet, burning intensity in his eyes.
He reached out, his tattooed fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“I’m glad you stayed, Hannah,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy.
My breath caught in my throat. I looked up into his dark eyes, feeling a sudden, magnetic pull that had nothing to do with gratitude or employment.
“I’m not going anywhere, Luca,” I whispered back.
His thumb grazed my cheekbone. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me.
But then, the study door swung open.
Teresa walked in, using her wooden cane, her face flushed with excitement.
“Luca! Hannah! They finished it!”
Luca stepped back, clearing his throat, a faint flush on his own neck.
“They finished the handrail, Mom?”
“Yes!” Teresa beamed. “Come watch me!”
