Chapter 18 - Shadows in the Blood
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Nicholas stood up abruptly, his eyes scanning the quiet rose garden.
Maria noticed his sudden movement and walked over, wiping her hands on her apron. “Nicholas? What is it?”
Nicholas quickly folded the letter and slipped it into his pocket, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face. “Nothing, darling. Just some business details from the docks.”
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Maria said softly, reaching up to touch his face.
“I’m fine,” Nicholas promised, kissing her forehead. “Why don't you take Lucy inside? It’s getting a bit chilly.”
Once Maria and Lucy were safely inside the house, Nicholas summoned Marco to his study.
“Look at this,” Nicholas commanded, tossing the crushed letter onto the mahogany desk.
Marco read the letter quickly, his face darkening with every line. “The Moretti family? Boss... the Morettis vanished from New York twenty years ago! They moved their operations to Europe!”
“They didn't vanish,” Nicholas said coldly. “They were waiting. Vance and Vane were just pawn pieces.”
“What does it mean that Lucy’s father wasn't the accountant?” Marco asked, perplexed.
Nicholas paced behind his desk, his jaw set in a hard line. “It means Maria’s late husband was covering for someone much higher up. Lucy isn't just an innocent maid’s daughter, Marco. She carries the bloodline of the most powerful mafia dynasty in Italy.”
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“If the Morettis come to New York, it will be a war bigger than anything we’ve ever fought,” Marco warned grimly.
“Let them come,” Nicholas growled, staring out the window toward the sunset. “I don't care whose blood she carries. She is my daughter now.”
