Chapter 8 - A MOTHER'S BLESSING
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Later that afternoon, the crisp autumn wind began to whistle through the sprawling gardens behind the Moretti mansion.
Lily had gone to the greenhouse with the estate’s master gardener to pick fresh hydrangeas for her bedroom.
Luca had stepped away to the eastern terrace to handle a secure shipment delivery with Marco.
I found Caroline sitting alone on a stone bench beside the marble fountain, holding a warm mug of apple cider.
She looked peaceful, wrapped in a dark-green knit cardigan, her short hair ruffled by the gentle breeze.
I hesitated near the rosebushes, not wanting to intrude on her private thoughts.
“Emma,” Caroline called out warmly, turning her head with a welcoming smile.
“Come sit with me. The sun is wonderful today.”
I walked over and sat on the opposite end of the stone bench, smoothing the fabric of my skirt over my knees.
“How are you feeling, Caroline?” I asked gently.
“Better than I have in two years,” she replied, taking a slow sip from her mug.
“Watching Lily today... seeing her smile like that... it was the medicine I’ve been praying for.”
Caroline set her mug onto the stone balustrade and turned her full attention toward me.
Her hazel eyes were intelligent, perceptive, and remarkably kind.
“I need to tell you something, Emma,” she began softly.
“When Luca called me that night from the dinner table, I was ready to drive over here with a tire iron and tear Vanessa apart.”
“I had spent six months listening to Vanessa’s passive-aggressive comments, convincing myself that I was being paranoid.”
Caroline took a deep breath, her hands folding neatly in her lap.
“Vanessa was systematically trying to erase me from my daughter’s life.”
“And the terrifying part is... she was succeeding.”
“Lily was starting to pull away from me on the phone, and I thought she was just growing up.”
“I had no idea the monster was telling my baby that I was ashamed of her.”
I reached out instinctively, resting my hand over Caroline’s cold fingers.
“You don't have to carry that guilt, Caroline,” I said, my heart aching for the pain she had endured.
“Vanessa was an expert manipulator.”
“She used your illness like a weapon because she was jealous of the bond you and Luca still shared.”
Caroline smiled softly, squeezing my hand with genuine affection.
“Luca and I loved each other once, Emma,” she explained with complete honesty.
“We were young, passionate, and completely wrong for each other.”
“The mafia world... the constant threat of violence, the late-night phone calls, the bodyguards... it terrified me.”
“When I asked for a divorce, Luca didn't fight me.”
“He bought me my dream house, funded my teaching foundation, and made sure I was protected every single day.”
“He is a dangerous man to his enemies, but to the people he loves, he is an unyielding fortress.”
Caroline leaned in closer, her gaze searching my face with deep sincerity.
“I watched him look at you today at the foundation, Emma.”
My breath hitched, and a sudden blush crept up my neck.
“Caroline, I am just an employee—”
“Don't insult my intelligence, Emma,” Caroline interrupted with a gentle, melodic laugh.
“I lived with that man for seven years.”
“Luca Moretti has never looked at a woman the way he looked at you this afternoon.”
“He looks at you like you are the air he forgot he needed to breathe.”
She leaned forward and took both of my hands into hers.
“Lily loves you, Emma.”
“She talks about you constantly—how you read her bedtime stories, how you help her with her French homework, how you stood up to Vanessa.”
“If Luca is lucky enough to win your heart, you will never have to worry about me standing in your way.”
“You saved my daughter.”
“You have my blessing, Emma. Always.”
May you like
Tears prickled behind my eyelids as I looked at the incredible woman before me.
Before I could find the words to thank her, a sharp blast of automatic gunfire echoed from the front gates of the estate.
