Chapter 10 - Whispers In The Italian Villa And A Little Brother’s First Real Laughter
The next two weeks were the happiest days of my life.
For the first time since my father died, laughter echoed through our daily routines. Noah, who had been pale and underweight, quickly blossomed into a chubby, energetic, and joyful toddler. With round rosy cheeks, endless energy, and a belly full of nutritious food, his infectious giggles filled the grand corridors of the Moretti estate.
Every afternoon when Lorenzo finished his business in the study, Noah would crawl toward his polished leather boots at lightning speed, babbling happily: "Zo! Zo!"
Lorenzo, the man who struck terror into the hearts of corrupt politicians and underworld syndicates, would immediately bend down, lift Noah effortlessly into the air, and let the baby sit proudly on his broad shoulders.
"The boss has gone soft," Marco whispered with a broad grin one afternoon, watching Lorenzo patiently teach Noah how to roll a soccer ball across the Persian rug.
"Shut up, Marco," Lorenzo retorted without looking up, though a genuine, warm smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "If Noah wants to play soccer, we play soccer."
I was thriving as well. My private tutor, Miss Eleanor, was astonished by how quickly I devoured books on history, science, and literature. For the first time, I had a high-speed laptop, brand-new textbooks, and a quiet, warm library to study in. I was no longer a terrified twelve-year-old scavenging for food; I was a young girl with a limitless future.
Mom, too, looked five years younger. Her hands had healed, the exhaustion had vanished from her skin, and she began helping Maria manage the estate’s charity foundations, using her experience to direct funding toward low-income shelters and food banks across Detroit.
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However, peace in the mafia underworld was always a fragile illusion.
While Lorenzo focused his attention on securing our future, our old enemies were plotting in the shadows. The Chicago Syndicate—the Moretti family’s oldest and most ruthless rival—had caught wind that Lorenzo had moved a civilian family into his private fortress. Sensing a rare emotional vulnerability in the untouchable boss, they prepared a strike that would test the bonds of our new family in fire and blood.
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