Chapter 2 - The Morning After
The sun rose over Lake Michigan in a blaze of cold, crisp orange light.
Ellie woke up at 7:00 a.m., her body stiff from hours of fitful sleep. For a moment, she forgot where she was. Then the scent of cedar, beeswax, and expensive leather brought the reality of the Moretti estate rushing back.
She sat up, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes. The master key was still resting on the nightstand beside her ring.
She dressed slowly, choosing a simple plum-colored knit sweater that hugged her curvy frame and a pair of dark trousers. She pulled her hair back into a loose braid, picked up the master key, and finally unlocked the bedroom door.
The hallway was silent. The heavy carpet muffled her footsteps as she walked toward the grand staircase.
As she descended into the main foyer, the smell of fresh coffee and toasted bread filled the air. An elderly woman dressed in a crisp grey uniform was polishing the dark wood of the banister near the dining room entrance.
The woman froze when she saw Ellie, setting her cloth down immediately and bowing her head with deep respect.
"Good morning, Mrs. Moretti," the woman said softly. "I am Rosa, the head housekeeper. We did not expect you up so early."
"Good morning, Rosa," Ellie said, her voice hesitant. "Please... just call me Ellie."
Rosa smiled gently, her eyes warm and crinkled at the corners. "Mr. Moretti gave strict instructions that you were not to be disturbed until you called for us. Breakfast is prepared in the small dining room whenever you are ready."
Ellie paused, glancing around the massive, sunlit foyer. "Where is... where is Luca?"
"Mr. Moretti has been in his study since 5:00 a.m., ma'am," Rosa replied, gesturing toward a set of double oak doors at the end of the east corridor. "He usually takes his morning meetings there."
Ellie nodded slowly. She walked down the corridor toward the dining room, but her feet stopped outside the half-open doors of the study.
Inside, Luca was standing by a large floor-to-ceiling window, a porcelain cup of black coffee in his hand. He was dressed in a sharp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, exposing thick wrists and dark, intricate tattoos creeping up from beneath his cuffs. He looked imposing, his broad six-foot-three frame cutting a sharp silhouette against the morning light.
Sitting across from his desk was Vance, his senior security chief—a stern, sharp-eyed man with silver hair and an iron posture.
"The Bennett docks are secure," Vance was saying, reading from a thick leather folder. "We pushed the raiders out of Terminal 4 at midnight. Your father-in-law has already been notified that his shipments will move without interference starting today."
"Good," Luca said, his voice a low, gravelly baritone. "What about Keller?"
Ellie’s breath caught in her throat at the mention of her ex-fiancé. She pulled back slightly behind the doorframe, listening intently.
"Andrew Keller called three times this morning," Vance reported, his tone filled with quiet contempt. "He claims Bennett Maritime still owes his firm four million dollars in management fees. He’s threatening to file an injunction against the merger."
Luca took a slow sip of his coffee. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't look angry. But the air in the room seemed to drop five degrees instantly.
"Tell Andrew Keller that if he writes another letter or makes another call regarding my wife's family business," Luca said calmly, "I will personally audit his company's off-shore accounts in Grand Cayman. Let's see how well his firm survives when the federal prosecutors find out where he’s been hiding his investors' money."
Vance nodded with a cold smile. "Understood, boss."
"And Vance?" Luca added, turning his head slightly toward the window. "Ensure there are two unmarked units assigned to Ellie whenever she leaves the estate. She is not to be followed, restricted, or bothered. She goes where she wants, speaks to who she wants. Your men are there to protect her, not to report her movements back to me."
"Understood, Mr. Moretti."
Ellie backed away silently, her chest tight with a strange, overwhelming mixture of relief and confusion.
Andrew Keller had spent two years convincing her that she needed his protection, while subtly stripping away her independence. Yet Luca Moretti—a man who ran an empire built on total control—was throwing a shield around her freedom without asking for a single thing in return.
She walked into the dining room, sat down at the long mahogany table, and stared at the lavish spread of fruit, pastry, and coffee laid out for her.
Ten minutes later, the door opened.
Luca walked in. He stopped at the head of the table, his dark eyes locking onto hers. He looked calm, powerful, and utterly composed, but Ellie noticed the subtle, tired lines around his eyes. He hadn't slept well in those guest quarters.
"Good morning, Ellie," he said, keeping a respectful distance of five feet between them.
"Good morning," she replied softly.
Luca looked down at the table, then back at her face. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did," she said, holding his gaze. "Thank you for... the key."
Luca nodded once, taking a step back toward the door. "I have meetings in the city today. I won't be back until late evening. The staff is at your disposal. If you need anything—anything at all—tell Rosa or Vance."
He turned to leave, but Ellie spoke before she could stop herself.
"Luca?"
He paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Yes?"
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice quiet but clear. "My father sold you a business alliance. He gave you my hand to secure his docks. You don't have to treat me like a guest in your own home."
Luca turned his entire body to face her. He walked slowly toward the table, stopping two feet away, leaning his large hands against the edge of the wood.
"Your father didn't sell me anything, Ellie," Luca said, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that made her skin prickle. "I took this alliance because Bennett Maritime was being bled dry by scum like Keller. And as for your hand..."
May you like
He paused, his gaze sweeping over her dark hair, her soft, curvy frame, and the fierce intelligence shining in her eyes.
"I didn't agree to marry you to control you," Luca said softly. "I agreed because for three years, I’ve watched you walk into boardrooms full of men who looked down on you, and I watched you outsmart every single one of them without ever raising your voice. I didn't marry a transaction, Ellie. I married you."
