Chapter 7 - The Shadow of Alberto
The removal of Frankie Moretti and the arrest of Judge Vance sent shockwaves through the West Coast underworld.
Jake Martinez was put on a cargo ship bound for an isolated fishing outpost in Alaska, far from any legal trust, any money, or any child he could ever harm again.
By the time we returned to the Mercer Island estate, the afternoon sun was casting long golden shadows across Lake Washington.
I sat on the outdoor terrace, watching Emma chase butterflies in the manicured garden below with Mrs. Chen.
Luca walked out onto the stone patio, holding two glasses of sparkling wine. He handed one to me, stepping up to the stone balustrade.
"It's over, isn't it?" I asked softly, taking a sip of the sweet wine.
"Jake is gone," Luca replied. "The legal threat to Emma's trust is completely neutralized. I had my personal attorneys restructure the Carter trust this afternoon. It is now locked under a triple-blind foundation. No one—not even a legal guardian—can touch a single dollar until Emma turns twenty-five."
I looked at him in awe. "You protected her future."
"I protected what was hers," Luca corrected gently, looking at me. "And now, Ava... you are a very wealthy woman in your own right. I transferred your mother's stolen inheritance back into a private account in your name. Ninety thousand dollars, plus interest."
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "Luca... I don't know how to repay you. I came to you with sixty-three dollars and a broken ankle."
"You don't owe me anything, Ava," Luca said quietly, turning to face me fully. His dark eyes were soft, filled with a deep, unspoken heat that made my skin tingle. "In fact... I am the one who owes you."
I blinked. "What?"
"For six years, since my father died, I have lived in a world made entirely of stone, blood, and iron," Luca whispered, stepping closer, his long fingers gently touching the side of my face, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. "I forgot what it felt like to have a home. I forgot what it felt like to look forward to coming back to a house at night."
He looked down at my lips, his breath warm against my skin.
"Having you and Emma here... it brought light back into this tomb," he murmured.
My breath hitched. I reached up, placing my hand over his on my cheek, feeling the rough strength of his palm. "Luca..."
Before our lips could meet, a sudden, loud alarm shrieked throughout the mansion.
Red lights began flashing along the perimeter walls.
Dante burst through the terrace doors, his heavy pistol drawn, his face pale with panic.
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"DON LUCA! GET DOWN!" Dante roared.
A heavy artillery shell hit the front gates of the estate with a deafening BOOM!
