Chapter 10 – THE ESTATE ON THE LAKE

The car ride took two hours, leading us deep into the snowy, forested hills outside of the city.

Lily was asleep in the backseat, her head resting peacefully against her stuffed bear. I sat in the passenger seat, looking down at the old train ticket in my hands.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

Luca turned the steering wheel, guiding the SUV down a long, winding driveway lined with towering pine trees.

“When your mother left the family, my grandfather was furious,” Luca explained, keeping his eyes on the snowy road. “But my father—her brother—never stopped loving her. He bought this property under a shell corporation. He wanted her to have a place to go if things ever went wrong.”

The trees cleared, revealing a stunning, rustic stone estate overlooking a massive, frozen lake.

It was breathtaking. Quiet. Safe.

“It’s yours, Hannah,” Luca said, parking the car. “It has always been yours.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I looked at the beautiful home. For years, I had bounced between tiny, roach-infested apartments, scrubbing floors to make ends meet, while this sanctuary had been waiting for me.

We woke Lily, and the three of us walked up the stone steps.

Luca unlocked the heavy wooden door, and we stepped inside. The house was immaculately preserved. Beautiful antique furniture, massive fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake.

Lily immediately ran toward the windows, pressing her hands against the glass. “Mommy, look! It’s a castle!”

I laughed, wiping my eyes. “It is, baby.”

I turned to Luca, overwhelmed with gratitude. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

“You don’t,” he said firmly.

Suddenly, the front door behind us slammed open.

The harsh winter wind rushed in, along with a figure blocking the doorway.

It was Vanessa.

She looked manic. Her perfect hair was wild, her expensive coat stained with mud. She was holding a thick folder of legal documents in one hand, and a small, silver handgun in the other.

“Did you really think it would be this easy?” Vanessa screamed, aiming the shaking gun at Luca.

I pushed Lily behind me instinctively.

“Vanessa, put it down,” Luca said, his voice dropping into a lethal, terrifying register.

“You ruined my life!” Vanessa shrieked, tears streaming through her ruined makeup. “You threw me out like garbage! I have the adoption papers, Luca! Legally, a judge still recognizes me as Lily’s guardian because Hannah was declared unfit!”

She waved the folder frantically.

“I’m taking the girl. And I’m taking my payout.”

Luca didn’t flinch. He didn’t even reach for his weapon.

He just looked at me.

I didn’t cower. I didn’t hide.

I calmly walked over to the heavy oak desk in the foyer. I picked up the thick manila envelope Luca had left there earlier.

I pulled out the deed to the estate, and the fresh, ink-stamped court documents resting behind it.

I turned to face Vanessa.

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