Chapter 11 - THE FINAL TRUTH
Luca’s hands weren’t perfectly steady as he unfolded the thick parchment.
It had been eleven years since he had seen his father’s handwriting.
I stood a respectful distance away, watching Mia play near the fountain with Atlas.
“Read it with me,” Luca said quietly, glancing at me.
I stepped closer, looking over his arm.
The letter was dated the day before Michael Moretti died.
My Son,
If you are reading this, it means you have found the key. It means I am gone, and Elias kept his promise.
You think I am a hard man, Luca. You think I care only about the syndicate, about power, about the legacy of our name.
You are right. I was a monster for most of my life.
But this garden... this was your mother’s soul. It was the only place I ever felt peace.
When she died, I locked it away. I thought I could lock away my humanity with it.
I was wrong.
Vanessa Bellini brought violence back into my home. She is treacherous, driven by the fear of her father. When I discovered her betrayal, I realized the merger with the Bellinis would destroy you.
But she gave me a daughter. Eleonora.
A sweet, innocent girl who has your mother’s eyes.
I knew Dominic Bellini would use the child to control us. So, I took her. I made Vanessa believe I would kill the child, because it was the only way to ensure she stopped looking.
I am leaving tonight to secure Eleonora’s future far from Chicago.
I suspect Dominic knows I am coming for him. If I do not survive, Marco will protect the girl.
Luca. The empire is a prison. The money is poison.
If you have found this letter, it means the Bellini threat is finally over.
Let the syndicate die.
Protect your sister. Find a woman who loves you for your heart, not your power.
Be the man your mother believed I could be.
Love,
Dad.
Luca slowly lowered the letter.
A single tear escaped his eye, tracing down his jawline.
He folded the paper and slipped it into his breast pocket.
“He loved you,” I said softly.
Luca looked at the beautiful mural his mother had painted.
“He protected us. In his own violent, twisted way, he saved us.”
He turned and looked at Mia.
She was laughing, throwing a small stick for Atlas, who happily chewed on it in the grass.
The estate was quiet. The mansion was safe.
The war was over.
Luca turned to me.
The sunlight caught his dark eyes, softening the sharp angles of his face.
“He told me to let the syndicate die.”
“Can you do that?” I asked.
“With Dominic in federal custody, the power vacuum will absorb itself in the city,” Luca said, stepping closer to me.
“I have enough legitimate businesses to sustain us. Real estate. Shipping. I don’t need the blood money anymore.”
He reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“I want a quiet life, Emma. I want this garden to bloom again.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“I think I can help you plant some flowers.”
May you like
He smiled, a true, radiant smile that completely transformed him.
TITLE: The Home We Built
