Chapter 12 - A New FoundationThe days following the raid felt like a slow, healing rebirth for the Moretti estate.
The broken glass in the foyer was replaced, the bullet holes in the mahogany paneling repaired, and the lingering smell of smoke faded away, replaced by the scent of fresh white lilies and roasted coffee.
I hadn't left for Queens.
Not yet.
When Luca offered me the position of Chief Estate Administrator—overseeing the household, managing Benjamin’s daily schedule, and ensuring the boy never had to fear in his own home again—I realized my place wasn't running away from the shadows.
It was helping to bring the light back in.
My mother was safely moved into a beautiful, fully renovated townhouse in Manhattan, all expenses paid by the Moretti foundation, with top-tier medical specialists managing her arthritis so she could finally walk without pain.
And Benjamin?
He hadn't stopped smiling since the morning Vanessa was hauled away by federal agents.
"Miss Claire! Look!"
Benjamin burst into the sprawling estate library, holding up a remarkably lopsided painting of a blue dragon on a large canvas pad.
I looked up from the ledger I was reviewing at the heavy oak desk, smiling warmly.
"That is magnificent, Ben," I said, putting down my pen. "Is that your new pet?"
"It’s a guardian dragon," Benjamin declared proudly, walking over and resting his elbows on my desk. "To protect the front gates so no bad people ever come back."
"I think your dragon is doing a wonderful job," a deep voice rumbled from the doorway.
Luca leaned against the oak frame, his dark suit jacket draped over his arm, watching us with a soft, genuine smile that the outside world rarely ever saw.
Benjamin grinned. "Right, Daddy?"
"Right, son," Luca said, walking into the room and placing a hand gently on the boy's head. "Now, run along to the kitchen. Mrs. Gable baked those chocolate chip cookies you like so much."
Benjamin’s eyes lit up. "Can Miss Claire come too?"
Luca glanced at me, his dark eyes warm and steady.
"Go ahead, Ben. Catch up with Mrs. Gable. I need to speak with Claire about estate matters for a moment."
May you like
The little boy nodded eagerly, grabbing his painting and scampering out of the library like a flash of lightning.
The heavy oak door clicked shut behind him, leaving Luca and me alone in the quiet, sunlit room.
