Later, wrapped in tangled sheets and each other's arms, Vittorio pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"I have something to show you."
He led me down the hall to a room I'd never entered before. When he opened the door, I gasped. Sunlight spilled through floor-to-ceiling windows onto pale yellow walls. A half-assembled crib stood in the center, surrounded by boxes of baby furniture.
"You've been building a nursery," I breathed, stepping inside, my heart swelling with an emotion so powerful it threatened to bring me to my knees.
My fingers trembled as I touched the smooth wood of the crib. A lump formed in my throat, making it difficult to swallow. After weeks of terror, of running, of protecting this secret with every fiber of my being, here was tangible proof that my child—our child—would be safe. That we could have a life beyond survival.
"I started it as soon as I learned about the baby." His arms wrapped around me from behind, his hands resting over mine on my stomach. The warmth of his touch sent a wave of security washing through me, melting the last of my defenses. "We will raise this child together. Not in fear, but in hope."
Overwhelming gratitude mingled with a fierce, protective love I'd never felt before. This man, who had stormed into my life with violence and threats, was now offering me the one thing I'd never dared dream possible—a family, safety, belonging.
I leaned back against him, tears blurring my vision. For the first time, I could see beyond survival to something I'd never dared imagine—a future.
CHAPTER 15
Vittorio
The screen flickered once… then again… before the file tree opened.
No password prompt. No biometric scan.
Just access.
I stilled.
Three weeks since I'd put bullets in my brother, and his paranoid security measures were still revealing surprises.
Antonio had built in a dead man’s switch. The flash drive would only unlock if it confirmed he was gone. Paranoid to the end, he didn’t trust anyone—not even his allies—until he was six feet under.
Enzo leaned in, eyes narrowing. “That’s not supposed to happen.”
I didn’t respond. My gaze scanned the cold, efficient folder names—just enough to understand the weight of what I held.
I didn’t need to open them to know.
This drive held the leverage Antonio had built his empire on—secrets designed to destroy, control, and command loyalty through fear.
And now they were mine.
Antonio ruled by blackmail and blood.
I would rule by choice.
But if they forced my hand, I’d bury them with the truth.
I adjusted my cufflinks, my mind flashing to Sophie’s silhouette in the morning light. At ten weeks pregnant, the gentle bump of her stomach is now unmistakable. She was carrying my heir—and I’d burn the world before I let anyone touch either of them. The platinum gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights of the private room at Café Milano. The neutral location had been chosen deliberately—no one would dare make a move in such a public place, and the private dining area provided just enough security for what needed to be said.
Behind me, Enzo checked his watch. "They're arriving."
I nodded, my face a mask of calm despite the storm brewing inside me. "Make sure everyone's searched before they enter."
One by one, they filed in—the Capos, the Underbosses, the lieutenants, and the old guard who'd served under my father before Antonio took control. Their faces told different stories. Some wore masks of practiced indifference. Others couldn't hide their nervousness. A few displayed open hostility.
I remained standing as they took their seats around the long mahogany table. Twenty-two men who held the keys to my empire—every dock, every construction site, every profitable corner of our territory.Twenty-two men who needed to understand that the world had changed overnight.
"Gentlemen," I said, my voice cutting through the murmurs. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."
