Chapter 9 - The Bellini Retaliation|
By three in the morning, the mansion was finally quiet. The guests had departed, leaving behind an empty ballroom and the lingering scent of fresh apple pie.
I was standing in the estate's main office, staring at a stack of employment contracts Marco had placed on the desk. My hands were still shaking, not from fear, but from the overwhelming realization that my father's medical debts were completely gone.
The thick oak door opened, and Luca stepped inside. He had removed his formal tuxedo jacket, rolling his white shirt sleeves up his forearms.
"You should be home resting, Emma," he said, walking over to the window that overlooked the rainy Chicago skyline.
"I couldn't sleep, sir," I admitted softly. "I still feel like I'm going to wake up and find out this was all a mistake."
"It wasn't a mistake," Luca said, turning to look at me. "You saved me tonight. If you had obeyed Vanessa, I would have married a viper."
Before I could reply, the phone on his desk rang sharply.
Luca picked it up, listening silently for several seconds. His eyes narrowed, the warmth in his face vanishing into dark intensity.
"How many?" Luca asked quietly.
A pause.
"Block the docks," Luca commanded. "Don't fire unless they cross the perimeter line."
He hung up the phone and looked back at me.
"What happened?" I asked, taking a step toward the desk.
"Vincent Bellini—Vanessa's father—just pulled his security forces from our joint warehouse near the river," Luca explained smoothly, though his jaw was set tight. "He’s trying to provoke a war before sunrise."
"Because of the broken engagement?"
"Because of pride," Luca replied, reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a silver pocket watch. "In our world, disrespect is a currency. Vanessa lost face tonight. Her father thinks he can force me back to the table."
He walked toward the door, stopping right beside me.
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"I need you to take Rosa to the safe house in Oak Park," Luca said softly. "I only trust Marco to drive, and I need someone with her who actually cares if she breathes."
"I'll do it," I said without hesitation.
