THE MOTHER’S GOWN

The next morning, the Moretti estate felt entirely different.

The dark tension that had suffocated the house for ten months under Vanessa’s reign was gone.

The sun was streaming through the massive windows of the dining room.

I was sitting at the head of the table.

Not dusting it. Not serving it. Sitting at it.

I was wearing a soft, expensive cashmere sweater and comfortable trousers that Mrs. Carter had quietly arranged for me from a boutique in the city. My ribs were professionally bandaged by Dr. Harris, and the pain had faded to a manageable ache.

Across from me sat Leo.

He was eating pancakes, swinging his legs happily, completely oblivious to the fact that his biological mother had nearly destroyed the house the night before. To him, the "bad lady" was just gone.

And sitting beside me, drinking black coffee, was Luca.

He looked rested. The sharp, lethal edges of the mafia boss were softened by the morning light.

“Daniel confirmed Victor Rossi has fled the state,” Luca said quietly, setting down his mug. “He knows I hold the confession. He won't ever return to Chicago.”

I took a sip of my tea. “And Vanessa?”

“She boarded a flight to Europe at 4:00 AM,” Luca replied.

He didn't sound angry. He sounded completely detached. Vanessa was a ghost now.

“She left something behind,” Luca added.

He reached into his pocket and placed an object on the table between us.

It was a heavy gold locket.

“It belonged to her mother,” Luca explained. “She left it on the seat of the car Daniel drove her in.”

He looked at Leo, who was happily drowning his pancakes in syrup.

“She asked Daniel to make sure Leo gets it when he’s older. So he knows she loved him enough to leave him where he was safe.”

A knot formed in my throat.

Vanessa was a villain. She was manipulative, cruel, and dangerous.

But in the end, her ultimate motive had been love. Twisted, desperate love. She had given up the only thing she wanted—her son—to ensure he didn't grow up in the violent world Victor Rossi ruled.

“I’ll keep it safe for him,” I promised, picking up the locket.

Luca nodded.

He reached over and gently covered my hand with his.

His thumb brushed the sapphire ring on my finger.

“You don't have to keep wearing that, Hannah,” Luca said softly.

I froze.

“What?” I asked, my heart dropping slightly.

“The Commission bought the story last night,” Luca said, his eyes perfectly sincere. “My territory is secure. The threat is gone. I told you I wouldn't force you into a life you didn't want.”

He squeezed my hand.

“You are free to go, Hannah. With a bank account that will ensure you never worry about money again. You saved my family. You deserve your own life.”

It was the happy ending.

The ultimate reward. Dignity restored. Debts paid. Total freedom.

I looked down at the sapphire ring.

Then I looked at the man who had shattered a man's knee to protect me, who had offered his empire to save his nephew, and who was now offering me the one thing he desperately wanted to keep.

I pulled my hand out from under his.

Luca’s face fell slightly, masking his disappointment.

I didn't take the ring off.

Instead, I reached for the coffee pot, poured a fresh cup, and set it in front of him.

“My life is right here,” I said calmly.

Luca stared at me.

“I told you last night,” I continued, meeting his dark, beautiful eyes. “I am not a prop. And I don't run away. I am staying, Luca. Unless you are telling me you don't want me?”

For a long moment, the dining room was completely silent, save for the clinking of Leo’s fork against his plate.

Then, a slow, brilliant smile spread across Luca’s face.

He stood up from his chair.

He walked around the table, pulled my chair back slightly, and knelt down beside me.

He didn't care that Mrs. Carter was standing by the door. He didn't care that his guards were in the hallway.

He took my face in both of his hands.

“I have wanted you since the day I watched you stand up to my head of security to protect a stray dog in the courtyard six months ago,” Luca whispered fiercely.

My breath hitched. He had seen that?

“You are the strongest, most beautiful woman I have ever known,” Luca said. “And it would be the greatest honor of my life if you would stay.”

He leaned in and kissed me.

It was soft, reverent, and full of promises.

When we pulled apart, Leo looked up from his pancakes, his face covered in syrup.

“Are you guys getting married for real?” Leo asked loudly.

Luca laughed—a genuine, deep sound.

“Yes, Leo,” Luca smiled, looking at me. “We are.”