Chapter 10 - The Unseen Thread
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Six months later.
Our new home was a quiet, light-filled villa nestled in the rolling hills two hours away from the city. There were no steel doors, no hidden tunnels, and no stern portraits of ancestors watching from the walls.
Large glass windows overlooked a vast field of blooming lavender, filling the air with a sweet, calming scent that blew gently through the open patio doors.
I sat on the porch rocking chair, holding Leo as he giggled, kicking his little legs while reaching for a wooden toy in my hand.
Grace walked out onto the patio carrying two cups of fresh coffee. She wore a simple white sundress, her dark hair shining in the afternoon sun, her smile bright and untroubled.
She sat on the bench beside me, setting the cups down, and leaned over to kiss Leo’s chubby cheek.
“He looks more like you every day,” she teased, running her fingers through his dark curls. “He has your stubborn chin.”
“And your eyes,” I replied softly, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “Which means he’ll grow up to be brilliant.”
We sat in comfortable silence, watching the sunset cast long shadows across the valley. For six months, peace had filled our lives. The Rossi criminal syndicate had been completely dismantled, its legitimate assets liquidated and placed into charitable foundations for victims of domestic abuse and exploitation.
The past seemed completely behind us.
Until a silver sedan pulled up the gravel driveway.
Marco stepped out of the vehicle, wearing a clean suit, holding a heavy yellow envelope in his hand. He walked up the stone steps with a solemn expression that immediately made my instincts sharpen.
“Adrian,” Marco said quietly. “Something arrived in the mail at the firm’s holding office.”
May you like
Grace looked up, her smile fading slightly. “What is it, Marco?”
Marco handed me the envelope. “It was postmarked from Switzerland three days ago. There’s no return address.”
