Chapter 5 - A Second Chance at Life and Love
Three hours later, Grace sat outside a Manhattan operating room wearing dried rain on her clothes and Luca’s blood on her hands.
Her mother sat beside her.
Neither spoke.
Aaron paced near the windows, taking calls from investigators, attorneys and people Grace suspected worked in worlds she never wanted to understand.
Nicholas Romano had been arrested.
Victoria Hale had agreed to cooperate within forty minutes of being taken into custody.
Her father had been detained before sunrise.
The financial records from Samuel Bennett had been authenticated enough to reopen both murder investigations.
Grace heard all of this.
None of it mattered while the operating-room light remained on.
Finally, a surgeon approached.
Grace stood so quickly the chair scraped backward.
“He’s alive.”
Her knees weakened.
The surgeon continued.
“The bullet missed his liver and major blood vessels. He’s extremely fortunate.”
Grace covered her mouth.
“He’ll recover?”
“It will take time, but yes.”
Helen began crying.
Grace didn’t realize she was crying too until her mother pulled her into an embrace.
Several hours later, she entered Luca’s hospital room.
For once, he looked like an ordinary man.
No tailored suit.
No intimidating watch.
No security team.
Just a pale, exhausted patient beneath white blankets.
His eyes opened when she approached.
“You stayed.”
Grace stopped beside the bed.
“That surprises you?”
“After what happened in my house?”
“I considered stealing your wallet while you were unconscious and disappearing.”
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“My wallet is in the drawer.”
“Good to know.”
Silence settled.
Then Luca looked at her seriously.
“You should leave.”
Grace stared at him.
“You almost died twelve hours ago, and you’re already irritating.”
“I mean leave my world.”
The humor disappeared.
“Nicholas was right about one thing. My family built power by convincing ourselves that violence was simply another kind of business.”
Grace sat down.
“I spent years believing I could keep the legitimate companies clean while controlling everything else.”
“And can you?”
“No.”
It was the first answer he had given her without hesitation.
“I don’t want to become my father,” he continued. “And I don’t want you becoming collateral damage while I pretend I can balance two lives.”
Grace studied him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Cooperate.”
“With investigators?”
“Yes.”
“That could destroy your empire.”
“It should destroy parts of it.”
Grace had expected a powerful man to fear losing power.
Instead, Luca looked relieved.
“I inherited things I should have dismantled years ago,” he said. “Your father died because men around mine believed money mattered more than human lives.”
He swallowed.
“I won’t continue that.”
Grace looked at his hand resting on the blanket.
“You know cooperating won’t magically make you innocent.”
“I know.”
“And people may hate you.”
“They already do.”
“You could lose businesses.”
“Yes.”
“You might lose friends.”
A faint smile.
“I’m discovering my standards for friendship need improvement.”
Grace laughed despite herself.
Then she started crying.
Luca’s smile disappeared.
“Hey.”
“I thought you were going to die.”
He reached for her hand.
Grace let him take it.
“I thought I was leaving that house because nobody cared whether I stayed,” she whispered.
His thumb moved across her knuckles.
“I cared long before I knew what to do about it.”
“That sounds suspiciously romantic for a terrifying crime boss.”
“Former terrifying crime boss, hopefully.”
Grace looked at him.
“Former?”
“If I survive your lectures.”
She leaned closer.
“No promises.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Luca’s expression became serious again.
“I won’t ask you to come back to the estate.”
Grace stiffened slightly.
“You think I can’t handle it?”
“No.”
His grip tightened.
“I think you deserve a future that doesn’t depend on me signing your paycheck.”
Grace remembered the green recipe book.
Her father’s handwriting.
The bakery dream she had quietly carried for years.
“What if I don’t know what that future looks like?”
“Then build it.”
“With what money?”
Luca hesitated.
She immediately narrowed her eyes.
“No.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to offer me money.”
“Technically, I was considering—”
“No.”
“Fine.”
“You don’t buy me a bakery.”
“I understand.”
“You don’t secretly buy the building.”
“Grace.”
“You absolutely looked like a man considering secretly buying a building.”
Luca laughed, then winced.
She immediately leaned forward.
“Are you okay?”
“Worth it.”
Her eyes filled again.
“Idiot.”
“Possibly.”
She squeezed his hand.
“What if I want you in my future anyway?”
For perhaps the first time in his adult life, Luca Romano seemed completely speechless.
Grace smiled.
“I didn’t say you’re getting an easy version of me.”
“I wouldn’t recognize one.”
“I won’t be your employee.”
“I don’t want you to be.”
“I won’t pretend your past doesn’t matter.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“And if you ever let another woman accuse me of stealing jewelry while you disappear through a side door—”
“That particular mistake will not be repeated.”
“Good.”
Luca looked at her as though the hospital room contained nothing else.
“If you still want me after knowing everything, I will spend as long as necessary becoming someone worthy of that choice.”
May you like
Grace bent down and kissed his forehead.
“Start by recovering.”
