Chapter 14 - The Fall of the House of Santoro
Within forty-eight hours of Rocco Santoro’s death, the entire Santoro crime syndicate collapsed like a house of cards.
Armed with Alberto Rossi’s confessions and the financial ledgers Sienna had discovered, federal agents raided twenty-seven Santoro properties across Illinois, seizing illegal weapons, hundreds of millions in dirty assets, and arresting every remaining lieutenant.
The streets of Chicago fell into a peaceful stillness that hadn't been felt in decades.
At the premier medical institute in North Shore, Marco Moretti rested in a luxurious private suite overlooking the snow-draped gardens. The best neurologists in the Midwest monitored his care around the clock.
Sienna sat by his bedside, holding his hand as he slept peacefully.
The door clicked open softly. Dante walked in, wearing a pristine navy suit, carrying a bouquet of white lilies—her mother’s favorite flowers.
“How is he doing?” Dante asked gently, standing behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.
“The doctors say the trauma didn't cause permanent damage,” Sienna said, leaning her head back against his chest. “He’s resting. He even remembered my mother’s birthday today.”
She turned around in the chair, looking up at him. “Thank you, Dante. For everything. You saved his life. You saved mine.”
Dante reached into his pocket and pulled out the original contract she had signed on her first night at the estate.
He held it over a crystal ash tray on the side table, pulled out a gold lighter, and struck a flame.
Sienna watched with wide eyes as the document caught fire, curling into black ash until nothing remained of the three-month agreement.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
May you like
“The contract is void,” Dante said, stepping closer, his eyes intense and filled with an emotion he could no longer hide. “You are free, Sienna. The Santoros are gone. Your father’s medical trust is funded for life. You can take the five million dollars and walk away to any corner of the earth.”
Sienna’s heart sank like a stone. “Is that what you want? For me to leave?”
