Chapter 8 – THE QUEEN OF THE MORETTI ESTATE

The rain finally stopped, leaving a heavy, silent mist hanging over the Moretti estate.

Luca stopped two feet in front of me. He looked exhausted, battered, and bleeding. The immaculate mafia boss had been dragged through hell, but his dark eyes were softer than I had ever seen them.

He looked down at Mia, who was still holding tightly to the fabric of my coat.

Luca dropped to one knee, ignoring the wet gravel. He reached out and gently cupped his daughter’s face.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Mia nodded slowly. She reached up and wiped a streak of blood from Luca’s cheek with her tiny thumb. “You saved us, Daddy.”

Luca closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his bruised face. He pulled her into a fierce, protective hug, burying his face in her dark curls. For twelve years, he had been a man without a heart, living a hollow life built on lies. In this one moment, holding his child, he was completely reborn.

He stood up and turned to his mother.

Rosa was weeping softly, leaning on Daniel’s arm. Luca walked over and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead.

“Welcome home, Mom,” Luca whispered. “No one will ever take you away again.”

Then, he turned to his father.

Antonio Moretti stood near the front doors, leaning heavily on his cane. The old man looked broken, his pride stripped away. He had saved Luca’s life on the balcony, but the truth of his betrayal hung between them like a physical wall.

“Luca,” Antonio started, his voice cracking. “I did what I had to do to survive.”

Luca’s expression hardened into stone.

“You traded your wife for power,” Luca said coldly. “You let another man steal my daughter. You are not my father anymore. Pack your things. You have one hour to leave this property. If I ever see your face in Chicago again, I will kill you myself.”

Antonio lowered his head, knowing there was no arguing. He turned and slowly walked into the dark mansion, a ghost of a man.

Luca turned back to me.

He stepped closer. The massive, intimidating boss looked down at his housemaid.

Without a word, he reached out and gently took my injured right hand in his. He inspected the blood-soaked bandages with incredible tenderness.

“You threw yourself in front of Vanessa’s gun for me,” Luca said softly. “You risked your life, your mother’s life, to protect a family that isn’t even yours.”

“You are my family, Mr. Moretti,” I said, my voice trembling. “You saved my mother.”

“My name is Luca,” he corrected gently. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the heavy silver rosary that had belonged to Carlo—the rosary that proved my father’s sacrifice. He placed it in the palm of my good hand, folding my fingers over it.

“Your father died a hero, Emma,” Luca said, his eyes locking onto mine. “He died protecting my mother. And because of him, my daughter is alive today. The Moretti family owes the Collins family a debt that can never fully be repaid. But I am going to spend the rest of my life trying.”

He turned to Daniel.

“Daniel,” Luca commanded. “Set up the east wing. I want the finest medical equipment money can buy installed immediately. I want a team of private doctors on call 24/7.”

Daniel nodded quickly. “Yes, Boss. For whom?”

Luca looked at me. “For Emma’s mother. She is moving into the estate tonight.”

I gasped, covering my mouth as fresh tears flooded my eyes. “Luca, you don’t have to do that.”

“I do,” he insisted gently. “You are never scrubbing another floor, Emma. You are never wearing that uniform again. You are staying here, with us, as an honored guest of this family. Forever.”

Suddenly, Mia tugged on Luca’s sleeve.

“Daddy?” she asked, her big brown eyes looking up at him. “Can Emma be my new mommy?”

The entire courtyard went silent.

I blushed furiously, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Luca looked at me, a slow, genuine smile spreading across his handsome face. It was the first time I had ever seen him truly smile.

“We’ll see, sweetheart,” Luca said smoothly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I have a lot of making up to do first.”

Six months later.

The crystal chandeliers of the Moretti ballroom glowed brilliantly, casting warm light over the massive dining table.

It wasn’t an engagement dinner filled with forced smiles and dangerous lies. It was a private family dinner.

I sat near the head of the table, wearing a beautiful emerald-green dress that Luca had bought for me in Paris. My mother sat across from me in her customized wheelchair, looking healthier and happier than she had in a decade, laughing as Rosa told her a story from their youth.

Mia was running around the table, chasing one of the new guard dogs, her laughter echoing through the halls. She wasn’t wearing a borrowed red coat anymore. She wore a beautiful white dress, safe, loved, and exactly where she belonged.

Luca walked into the dining room. He wasn’t wearing his usual intimidating black suit. He wore a casual navy button-down, looking relaxed, at peace, and completely in love.

He walked up behind my chair and gently placed his hands on my bare shoulders, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

“The chefs made your favorite for dessert,” he whispered against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

I leaned back into his touch, smiling up at the man who had changed my entire world.

Everything was perfect. The villains were locked away, the family was united, and the shadows of the past were finally gone.

But as the kitchen doors swung open and Daniel walked in, his face was pale.

He walked directly to Luca, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

“Boss,” Daniel said quietly. “We have a problem.”

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