Chapter 10

The restaurant was a quiet, dimly lit Italian place tucked away in the city, far from the prying eyes of the Moretti family’s usual social circles.

Luca had reserved a private booth in the back.

For the first time since I met him, he didn’t look like a mafia boss. He just looked like a man.

We talked for hours. We talked about his childhood, the pressures of taking over his father’s empire, and the crushing weight of the legacy he was trying to clean up.

I told him about my mother, the long shifts at the hospital, and the constant fear of not being able to pay the bills.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Luca said, reaching across the table to take my hand. His grip was warm and solid. “I promised I would take care of you, Hannah. Both of you.”

“I’m not used to someone taking care of me,” I admitted, looking down at our joined hands. “I’ve always been the one fixing things.”

“I know,” Luca smiled softly. “And you fixed my family. You gave my mother her life back.”

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, flat velvet box.

He slid it across the table toward me.

“Luca,” I breathed, my eyes widening. “You didn’t have to…”

“Open it,” he insisted.

I unclasped the velvet box. Inside, resting on a bed of white silk, was a delicate silver necklace with a tiny, beautiful sunburst pendant.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, tracing the silver lines.

“It belonged to my sister,” Luca said quietly.

I looked up, stunned.

“The police returned a few items they found in Arthur’s possession,” Luca explained, his voice thick with emotion. “This was one of them. My mother wanted you to have it. As a thank you.”

Tears pricked my eyes. “Luca, I can’t take this. This is a family heirloom.”

“You are family, Hannah,” Luca said firmly. “My mother considers you a daughter. And I…” He paused, swallowing hard. “I want you to wear it.”

I couldn’t speak. I simply nodded, turning the box around.

Luca stood up, walked around the table, and gently lifted the necklace from the silk. I swept my hair over my shoulder, and he clasped the cool silver chain around my neck.

His fingers lingered on my collarbone for a moment, sending a shiver down my spine.

He leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against my temple.

“Perfect,” he murmured.

When we returned to the estate later that night, the house was quiet.

I walked Luca to the door of his study.

“Thank you for tonight,” I said, touching the silver pendant at my throat. “It was the best night of my life.”

Luca stepped closer, eliminating the space between us. He looked down at me, the intensity in his eyes making my heart race.

“Hannah,” he whispered, his voice slightly rough.

He didn’t wait for an answer.

He cupped my face with both hands and kissed me.

It wasn’t a gentle, polite kiss. It was deep, desperate, and filled with all the unspoken tension that had been building between us for weeks. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, getting lost in the heat of the moment.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless.

Luca rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed.

“I think,” he whispered, a smile playing on his lips, “I’m going to like having you as my Director of Operations.”