THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME SERVE HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER WITHOUT EVER TURNING MY BACK TO THE TABLE—THEN HIS FIANCÉE SAID, “SHE CAUGHT HER UNIFORM ON THE KENNEL GATE,” BEFORE HE EVEN ASKED WHY I WAS HIDING MY SHOULDER. "Turn around, sweetheart. You're serving dinner, not

I slammed my hand over the phone's microphone.

"It's Vanessa," I mouthed to Luca, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Luca extended his hand. "Put it on speaker."

I pressed the button. "What did you do, Vanessa?"

She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Oh, Emma. So dramatic. I just thought little Leo needed some new clothes. Check his closet."

I looked at my mother. We weren't at the apartment anymore. But my mind raced back to the mess on the floor.

"I'm not at the apartment," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I know," Vanessa replied. Her voice dropped an octave, turning ice-cold. "I know you're in a car with my fiancé. I know the dog is breathing. You think you're clever, Emma? You're a maid. You serve bread."

Luca leaned closer to the phone. "Vanessa."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. She hadn't expected him to be listening.

"Luca, darling," she recovered quickly, her tone instantly sweetening. "Why are you with the help? You should be here. Our guests are wondering where you went."

"What did you leave in the boy's closet, Vanessa?" Luca asked. His voice was devoid of any emotion, which made it far more terrifying.

"Just a coat, Luca. A beautiful red winter coat. I thought Emma might need it for where she's going."

The line went dead.

I looked at Luca, trembling. "A red coat? Why would she leave a coat?"

Luca didn't answer. He put the SUV in drive and sped back onto the highway. His jaw was locked tight.

"Mr. Moretti?" I asked.

"When I was nine years old," Luca began, his voice hollow, "my mother was kidnapped by a rival family. They held her for three days. My father paid the ransom."

He swallowed hard.

"They didn't give her back. They left her in an alley in the snow. She was wearing a red winter coat."

My hand flew to my mouth.

Vanessa wasn't just threatening me. She was mocking the deepest trauma of Luca's life.

We arrived at the secure underground garage of Luca's downtown penthouse. His private security team was already waiting. Heavily armed men escorted us up the private elevator.

The penthouse was massive, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Chicago skyline.

"Take the guest rooms," Luca told my mother. "Daniel will bring you anything you need."

Leo was exhausted. I carried him to a plush bedroom and tucked him under the heavy duvet. Bruno limped in right behind us and collapsed at the foot of the bed, refusing to leave the boy.

When I walked back out to the living room, Luca was standing by the glass windows, pouring a glass of whiskey.

He looked exhausted. The polished mafia boss from the dinner party was gone, replaced by a man holding the weight of a betrayal he was just beginning to uncover.

"Emma," he said without turning around. "Come here."

I walked over. My shoulder throbbed where the uniform was still torn.

"She planted my mother's murder weapon," Luca said quietly, staring out at the city lights.

"What?"

He turned to face me. "The police never found the red coat my mother was wearing when she died. It was taken by the killers as a trophy. If Vanessa put it in your apartment..."

"Then her family killed your mother," I whispered.

Luca nodded once. "And she was going to tip off the police tonight. Have them raid your apartment. They would find my mother's coat, and the fake ledger she planted in my safe, tying you to the stolen four million."

I felt the room spin. "She was framing me for everything. To get rid of me before the wedding."

"Yes." Luca set the glass down. He reached out and gently touched my uninjured shoulder. His hands were warm.

"But she made one mistake, Emma."

"What?"

"She didn't realize that I don't care about the money," Luca said softly, his eyes locking onto mine. "And she didn't realize that I would tear this city apart before I let anyone hurt you."

Before I could process the intensity in his eyes, his phone rang.

It was Daniel.

"Boss," the security chief said. "We have a problem."

"What is it?"

"The red coat wasn't in the apartment."

Luca frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We tossed the whole place. There's no coat. But we found something else hidden in the drywall behind the boy's closet."