Chapter 7 - The Morning After
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Dawn crept over Lake Michigan, casting pale golden light across the rain-drenched grounds of the estate.
Cleanup crews moved through the courtyard with clinical efficiency, washing away the debris, bullet casings, and broken stone.
By eight in the morning, the mansion looked almost entirely normal, save for the double security presence patrolling the perimeter.
In the bright, sunlit conservatory on the east wing, Allison Romano sat at a glass table, sipping black coffee.
A heavy manila folder lay before her, containing divorce decrees, property transfers, and business restructuring contracts prepared by Luca’s top attorneys.
I walked in carrying a tray of fresh croissants and sliced fruit, setting it gently before her.
Allison looked up at me, and for the first time since the ordeal began, there was a quiet, luminous peace in her eyes.
“I signed them, Emily,” Allison announced, tapping the legal documents.
“Every single page.”
“How do you feel, Mrs. Romano?” I asked, pouring fresh orange juice into her crystal glass.
“Call me Allison, please,” she said with a warm, genuine smile.
“And to answer your question, I feel like I can finally breathe without asking for permission.”
“Adrian gave up everything without a fight,” she continued, looking out over the blooming rose gardens.
“Luca ensured that all of Adrian’s commercial real estate and the family foundation were transferred exclusively into my name.”
“I’m taking over the Romano charitable trust myself.”
“You will do amazing things with it, Allison,” I said sincerely.
“I know you will.”
Allison reached across the table and took my hand, squeezing it with deep affection.
“I couldn't have survived that dinner without you standing behind me, Emily,” she said softly.
“When Vanessa was tearing me to shreds, you were the only person in that room who treated me like a human being.”
“Never lose that compass, Emily.”
“In this world of wolves, a pure heart is the rarest and most dangerous thing of all.”
Before I could answer, the conservatory doors opened, and Luca stepped inside, looking immaculate in a tailored charcoal three-piece suit.
There was no trace of the warrior from the midnight siege; he was once again the composed, elegant titan of Chicago.
“Allison,” Luca greeted her with a respectful nod.
“Your private car is ready at the front gate.”
“My security detail will escort you to your new penthouse in Gold Coast and remain with you as long as you wish.”
Allison stood up, gathering her purse and the manila folder.
She walked over to Luca, placed a gentle hand on his cheek, and kissed his other cheek with maternal affection.
“Thank you for saving what was left of my life, Luca,” Allison said softly.
“And thank you for sparing Adrian.”
“He was a fool, Allison, but you deserved clean hands,” Luca replied quietly.
Allison smiled, then glanced toward me with a knowing, fond twinkle in her eyes.
“Take care of him, Emily,” she said as she walked past me toward the exit.
“He acts like stone, but he needs someone who reminds him what warmth feels like.”
My face burned with a sudden flush as the conservatory doors closed, leaving Luca and me alone in the sunlit room.
Luca walked toward the glass table, his hands tucked casually into his trouser pockets, watching me with an amused expression.
“Allison has always been remarkably perceptive,” Luca observed, stopping just three feet away.
“She is a wonderful woman,” I replied, trying to maintain my professional composure as I picked up the empty breakfast tray.
Luca reached out, his fingers wrapping around the edge of the tray and gently lifting it from my grasp to set it back on the table.
“You are done carrying trays in this house, Emily,” Luca said firmly, stepping closer until I had to tilt my head back to look into his eyes.
“I am still your employee, Mr. Moretti,” I countered, though my voice lacked any real conviction.
“No,” Luca said, his gaze dropping to my lips before rising back to meet my eyes with devastating intensity.
“As of this morning, you are the Executive Director of the Moretti Foundation, overseeing our hospital endowments and community investments.”
“Your office will be on the forty-second floor of the Moretti Tower, right beside mine.”
I blinked in utter disbelief, my mind spinning at the sheer magnitude of his announcement.
“Luca… that’s impossible! I don't have the corporate credentials for—”
“You have the only credential that matters to me,” Luca interrupted softly, his hand rising to gently tuck a stray strand of dark hair behind my ear.
May you like
“You have absolute integrity.”
“And I intend to keep you by my side for as long as you will let me.”
