"I need you and Luca to come to my place. Now."
"What's happened?" The concern in her voice is immediate.
"I'll explain when you get here. It's important." I pause. "And Elena? I need you on my side for this one."
After hanging up, I dial Marco. His gruff voice answers with typical Calabresi impatience.
"There's been a development with Blackwood," I say, deliberately vague. "Meeting at my house in an hour."
Leo is last. He grumbles, but he knows the drill. When someone calls La Corona, all have to attend unless they’re dead.
When I finish, Olivia approaches me. "Will they accept this? Us?"
I take her hand. "Elena will. The others..." I shrug. "They don't have to like it. They just have to respect it."
I don't tell her I'm preparing for war if necessary.
Fifteen minutes later, Elena and Luca arrive.
Taking Olivia's hand, I lead her to the living room to meet my cousin and her husband, not as an FBI agent, but as the woman I love.
Elena freezes mid-step when she sees Olivia. Her eyes dart between us, catching our clasped hands. The shock on her face is quickly replaced by suspicion.
"Dom, what's going on?"
Beside her, Luca's expression darkens.
"It's not what you think," I say, keeping my voice calm. "She’s not arresting me. Blackwood is dead."
Luca's posture shifts slightly. "That's good news. But it doesn't explain why there's an FBI agent in your living room."
I take a deep breath. This is the moment that changes everything.
I squeeze Olivia's hand. “She's the woman I love."
Luca’s mouth falls open. "You're in love with her? The woman who's been trying to put you in jail for years?"
"Yes." I don't elaborate. I don't need to.
He shakes his head in disbelief. "This is insane, Dom. Have you lost your mind?"
"There's more." I look at Olivia, drawing strength from her steady gaze. "We're having a baby. And as soon as she says yes, I'm going to marry her."
The silence that follows is deafening. Elena stares at us, processing what I've just revealed. Then, to my surprise, her expression softens.
“I asked you today how you felt and you acted all macho like ‘not me Dom Vitale. I don’t love anyone’,” she imitates my voice.
I shrug.
Elena approaches Olivia slowly. Then, without warning, she embraces her. "Welcome to the family.”
Over Elena's shoulder, Olivia's eyes meet mine, wide with surprise. But that’s Elena. It’s why I’m glad she’s here.
"The others won't be as understanding," Luca warns, still keeping his distance.
"I know," I reply. "But this isn't negotiable. Olivia and our child are my family now. La Corona will have to accept that."
Elena pulls back from Olivia, her hands still on her shoulders. "We'll stand with you," she promises, looking between us. "Won't we, Luca?"
