Chapter 10 - THE NEEDLE AND THE THREAD
We didn't wait the full twenty-four hours.
By midnight, Luca had arranged a meeting with Don Carlo at a neutral location—an empty, upscale restaurant downtown. I insisted on coming. Luca tried to forbid it, but I refused to back down.
When we walked into the private dining room, Don Carlo was sipping red wine, flanked by his massive bodyguards.
"Have you come to your senses, Luca?" the old man asked, not looking up.
Luca didn't sit down. He pulled the black leather ledger from his coat and dropped it onto the white tablecloth. It landed with a heavy, definitive thud.
Don Carlo’s eyes darted to the book. The color drained from his wrinkled face entirely.
Answer One: The ledger was the exact leverage needed to neutralize the New York threat.
"My father's insurance policy," Luca said coldly. "He always knew you were a rat, Carlo. He just kept the proof in case you ever got greedy."
Don Carlo stared at the book, his hands trembling. The power dynamic in the room flipped instantly.
"What do you want?" Don Carlo whispered, his voice stripped of all its previous arrogance.
"I want peace," Luca demanded. "I want your men out of Chicago by morning. You will never threaten my family, my business, or my city again. If you do, copies of this ledger go to every capo in New York."
Don Carlo swallowed hard. He nodded slowly. "Done."
Luca picked up the ledger, turned his back on the most dangerous man in New York, and walked out of the room. I followed him, my heart soaring with adrenaline and pride.
We drove back to the mansion in comfortable, exhausted silence. The storm had finally broken, leaving the Chicago skyline glittering against a clear night sky.
When we walked through the front doors, the estate was quiet.
I walked toward the staircase, heading for my staff room. But Luca caught my hand gently.
"You don't sleep down there anymore," he said softly.
He led me upstairs, past the guest rooms, to a beautiful suite overlooking the gardens.
"This is yours," Luca said. "You're not a maid, Sophie. Not tonight. Not ever again."
I stepped into the room. It was breathtaking. But sitting on the edge of the bed was something even more beautiful.
It was Leo. The little boy was fast asleep, clutching a teddy bear.
"Vanessa was discharged from the hospital this afternoon," Luca explained quietly, standing behind me. "She's going into a witness protection program tomorrow. A fresh start. She asked me to take Leo."
Open Two: Will Luca adopt his brother's child and raise him as his own?
I turned to Luca, tears in my eyes. "Are you going to?"
"He's Moretti blood," Luca said fiercely. "He's my family. And no one will ever hurt him again."
He looked down at me, his intense gaze softening into something incredibly vulnerable.
"But I don't want to do it alone, Sophie," Luca whispered.
He reached into his pocket. He didn't pull out a velvet box this time. He pulled out a simple, silver thimble.
The reversal was perfect. It wasn't diamonds or pearls. It was a symbol of who I was, and the fact that he saw me, truly saw me, and valued me for it.
"Marry me," Luca said, his voice thick with emotion. "Help me build a family that isn't forged in violence, but built on love. Let's fix this empire, together."
I looked at the thimble, then at the sleeping child, and finally at the man who had laid his life and his throne on the line for me.
"Yes," I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck.
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Luca pulled me tight against his chest, burying his face in my hair. For the first time, the terrifying mafia boss let out a breath of pure, unadulterated relief.
TITLE: The Blue Stitches
