Chapter 8 – THE HAPPY ENDING
Vanessa shrieked, her grip loosening for a fraction of a second.
It was all Luca needed.
In one blindingly fast motion, he grabbed her wrist, twisted it upward, and slammed his palm into her chest. The small pistol fired into the vaulted ceiling, raining plaster down on the altar.
Vanessa collapsed to the marble floor, gasping for air, the gun clattering away.
Instantly, Daniel and three guards descended on her, pinning her to the ground and clicking heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists.
The cathedral was dead silent, save for Vanessa’s hysterical sobbing on the floor.
Carlo Bellini stood up, looking at his daughter, then at Luca. He slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket and raised his hands, signaling absolute surrender.
“The Bellini family disavows her actions,” Carlo said gruffly, though he was sweating bullets. “The treaty stands, Moretti. She is yours to deal with.”
Luca looked down at Vanessa, his eyes devoid of any mercy.
“Take her to the warehouse,” he told Daniel. “Let her look at the four walls until the Commission decides her fate.”
They dragged the screaming bride out of the cathedral.
I stood shaking by the altar, my adrenaline crashing. I felt a warm hand wrap around my waist, pulling me firmly against a solid chest.
“Are you hurt?” Luca asked, his voice thick with concern, completely ignoring the four hundred stunned mafia members watching us.
“No,” I breathed, looking up at him. “I’m okay.”
Luca turned to the crowd. “The wedding is canceled. Everyone out.”
Within five minutes, the cathedral was empty, save for Luca, myself, and a few loyal guards.
The heavy doors shut, leaving us in the quiet, candle-lit sanctuary.
Luca turned to me. He reached up and gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“It’s over,” he said softly. “Your father’s name is cleared. The debt is erased. You never have to look over your shoulder again.”
Tears welled in my eyes. The crushing weight I had carried for eight years, the poverty, the fear—it was gone.
“Thank you,” I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck.
He hugged me back fiercely, burying his face in my hair. “Don’t thank me. You saved Bruno. You saved my family’s legacy. I owe you everything.”
The side door creaked open.
“Mommy?” a small voice echoed through the church.
I pulled back.
Daniel was standing in the doorway, holding Leo’s hand. Beside them, my mother was smiling, and Bruno was happily wagging his tail, looking ten years younger.
“Leo!” I ran down the altar steps and scooped my son into my arms, spinning him around.
Luca walked down the steps behind me. He knelt down so he was eye-level with my son.
Leo looked at the intimidating man in the tuxedo, then at the shiny floor. “Are you the king here?” Leo asked innocently.
Luca smiled, a real, bright smile I had never seen before. “No, Leo. I’m just the guy who takes care of the dog. I was hoping you could help me with him.”
Leo’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Really,” Luca said. He looked up at me, his gaze filled with a quiet, burning promise. “In fact, I have a very big house, and I think it needs a family to make it a home.”
My breath hitched. “Luca…”
“You don’t work for me anymore, Emma,” he said, taking my hand and kissing the knuckles. “From now on, you stand beside me. If you’ll have me.”
I looked at my mother, who nodded through happy tears. I looked at Leo, who was already hugging Bruno.
Then I looked at the man who had torn down an entire empire to protect me.
“I’d like that,” I smiled.
But as we walked out of the cathedral into the bright Chicago sunlight, Daniel approached Luca, his face pale.
“Boss,” Daniel whispered, handing Luca a burner phone. “Vanessa’s underboss… he slipped out during the chaos. And he took the ledger.”
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