“THAT BOY ISN’T EVEN YOUR FAMILY!” THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE SHOUTED WHEN I GAVE A NINE-YEAR-OLD ORPHAN A SEAT AT HIS BIRTHDAY DINNER—THEN ACCUSED ME OF STEALING HER DIAMOND BRACELET. BUT WHEN LUCA MORETTI SAW WHAT THE CHILD WAS HIDING UNDER HIS JACKET, HE ORDERED EVERY GUEST TO STAY SEATED.
Chapter 2 – THE SIGNATURE ON THE CONTRACT
“Vanessa, you told me Luca had already agreed.”
The voice of the silver-haired man cut through the dead silence of the dining room. He stood halfway down th…
“TAKE OFF THAT WEDDING RING. YOU’RE NOT MARRIED TO ANYONE ANYMORE!” THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE HUMILIATED ME IN FRONT OF THIRTY-SIX DINNER GUESTS—THEN ACCUSED ME OF STEALING A DEAD WOMAN’S JEWELRY. BUT WHEN LUCA MORETTI SAW THE NAME ENGRAVED INSIDE MY RING, HE FORGOT ABOUT HIS OWN ENGAGEMENT DINNER.
Chapter 2 – THE SIGNATURE ON THE CHEQUE
The crystal chandeliers overhead seemed to dim as the silence in the dining room stretched, thick and suffocating.
Thirty-six of Chicago’s most powerful peopl…
THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE ORDERED ME TO THROW AWAY A HOMEMADE PEACH PIE IN FRONT OF THIRTY DINNER GUESTS. “THAT WOMAN IS NOT WELCOME IN THIS HOUSE,” SHE SAID. BUT WHEN THE WOMAN IN THE WORN BLUE COAT WHISPERED, “I MADE IT THE WAY YOU LIKED IT WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, VANESSA,” LUCA MORETTI ROSE FROM HIS CHAIR.
Chapter 2 – THE ENVELOPE IN THE BLUE COAT
The silence in the dining room was absolute, broken only by the soft, ragged sound of Mary Bellini trying to quiet her crying.
Vanessa’s hands gripped the e…
“DON’T YOU DARE LOWER THOSE FLOWERS! THEY WERE CHOSEN TO MAKE THIS TABLE LOOK ELEGANT, NOT TO MAKE ROOM FOR HER!” THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE HUMILIATED HIS 25-YEAR-OLD MAID FOR MOVING A TOWERING CENTERPIECE SO HIS 78-YEAR-OLD MOTHER COULD SEE HIM—BUT WHEN TERESA WHISPERED, “I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT MY SON ALL EVENING,” LUCA MORETTI TURNED TO HIS FIANCÉE.
Chapter 2 – The Wedding Dress Fitting
The dining room went still. Thirty-six guests held their breath.
Teresa’s hands trembled on the table. She looked so small, yet in that moment, she was the only…
THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE ORDERED ME TO TAKE THE OLD MAN’S CHAIR AWAY—BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHO HE WAS TO HIM.
Chapter 2 – THE THREAT BENEATH THE RED GOWN
The silence in the dining room was absolute.
Thirty-six of Chicago’s wealthiest elites sat completely frozen in their high-backed chairs. The only sound w…
“DON’T TELL THESE PEOPLE YOU USED TO CLEAN HOTEL ROOMS! THEY’RE HERE TO CELEBRATE A MORETTI, NOT HEAR ABOUT YOUR POOR LITTLE LIFE!” THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE HUMILIATED HIS 78-YEAR-OLD MOTHER AT HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER—BUT WHEN THE MAID SAID, “SHE WORKED NIGHTS SO HE COULD BUILD HIS FIRST BUSINESS,” LUCA MORETTI SLOWLY PUT DOWN HIS GLASS.
Chapter 2 – THE HOTEL MANAGER
The crystal chandeliers above the dining table suddenly felt blinding.
Thirty-six guests sat in suffocating silence, their expensive wine glasses untouched, their eyes …
“MY DAUGHTER DOESN’T WANT A CRIPPLED MOTHER!” MY EX-HUSBAND HUMILIATED ME AT THE MAFIA BOSS’S DINNER AND THREW THE LITTLE YELLOW COAT I’D MADE FOR OUR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD ONTO THE FLOOR. BUT WHEN LUCA MORETTI ASKED WHY I HADN’T SEEN MY CHILD IN ELEVEN MONTHS, MY EX-HUSBAND WENT PALE—BECAUSE HE’D TOLD LUCA A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY.
Chapter 2 – THE LOCKED DRAWER
The silence in the dining room was absolute.
Luca stepped toward his cousin, his dark eyes fixed on Marco’s pale, sweating face. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy…
“YOU’RE THIRTY-ONE YEARS OLD AND STILL PLAYING RESTAURANT WITH YOUR DEAD MOTHER’S RECIPES!” THE MAFIA BOSS’S BROTHER HUMILIATED ME AT HIS MILLION-DOLLAR MANSION WHEN I BEGGED FOR THIRTY MORE DAYS TO SAVE OUR FAMILY DINER. BUT WHEN LUCA MORETTI HEARD WHAT HIS BROTHER HAD DONE WITH THE $200,000 HE’D SENT TO HELP US, HE SLOWLY STOOD UP—AND ASKED ME A QUESTION I NEVER EXPECTED.
Chapter 2 – THE ENVELOPE WITH THE BLUE INK
“The summer my father paid someone to leave town?” Luca repeated, his voice barely a breath in the cavernous dining room.
Vincent’s ugly smile completely v…
THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE MADE ME SERVE DINNER TO THE DAUGHTER I’D GIVEN UP FOR ADOPTION TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO—THEN ANNOUNCED, “SHE FINALLY GETS TO MEET THE MOTHER WHO DIDN’T WANT HER.” BUT WHEN THE YOUNG WOMAN ASKED, “WAS I REALLY THAT EASY TO GIVE AWAY?” LUCA PUT DOWN HIS GLASS.
Chapter 2 – The Question In The Dining Room
The silence in the dining room felt heavier than the crystal chandeliers hanging above us.
Thirty-six powerful guests watched a young woman, trembling in …
“GET ON YOUR KNEES AND APOLOGIZE, YOU LYING LITTLE MAID! YOUR FATHER WAS A THIEF, AND YOU’RE NO BETTER!” THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE HUMILIATED HIS 25-YEAR-OLD HOUSEMAID IN FRONT OF FIFTY DINNER GUESTS—BUT WHEN A WEALTHY ITALIAN BUSINESSMAN HEARD HER FATHER’S NAME, HE STOOD UP AND ASKED LUCA MORETTI WHY THE DAUGHTER OF THE MAN WHO SAVED HIS LIFE WAS BEING TREATED LIKE GARBAGE.
Chapter 2 – THE LOCKED DOOR AND THE BURNING TRUTH
The silence in the banquet hall was so profound I could hear the crystal wineglasses vibrating against the mahogany table.
Luca Moretti didn’t shout…