Chapter 10 - The Morning After the Storm-10-
The sun rose over Lake Michigan, casting a brilliant, blinding glare across the snow-covered streets of Chicago. In the safe house, the laptop screen had gone dark hours ago, the live feed replaced by a simple encrypted message: Situation contained. Rest. I will come for you tonight.
Emma woke up around seven, rubbing her eyes and immediately demanding her morning milk with the cheerful resilience only toddlers possess. I fed her, played a quiet game of matching blocks on the living room floor, and tried to quiet the nervous fluttering in my chest.
The war was over. Julian Vance was in federal custody, Marco was locked away in the estate’s secure holding cells, and Alessandro had reclaimed his empire without firing a single lethal shot.
Around noon, a soft tap sounded at the front door.
My muscles tensed instantly. I stood up, walking silently to the entryway, and peered through the peephole.
Standing on the porch, leaning slightly on a sleek cane while still maneuvering his black wheelchair parked at the curb, was Alessandro Moretti. He looked tired, the dark circles under his eyes prominent against his pale skin, but there was an unmistakable aura of quiet triumph about him.
I unlocked the deadbolts and pulled the door open.
"You shouldn't have traveled," I said, my voice a mix of relief and concern. "The roads are still slick."
"I missed my favorite consultant," Alessandro replied smoothly, wheeling himself across the threshold and into the warm hallway.
Emma, hearing his voice, bolted out of the living room on her tiny feet, clutching Mr. Rabbit under her arm. She stopped right in front of his wheelchair, tilted her head up, and grinned.
"You came back," she announced.
Alessandro looked down at her, a genuine, unforced smile finally breaking across his face—the very smile the newspapers had claimed didn't exist anymore. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, foil-wrapped package.
"I brought cookies," he said.
Emma gasped, her eyes going wide. "Real ones?"
"Real ones," Alessandro confirmed, handing the package to her. He then looked up at me, his steel-gray eyes softening significantly. "And as for you, Sarah... the position of head estate administrator is officially yours, if you want it. Along with a salary that will take care of that rent notice sitting in your purse."
May you like
I stared at him, stunned, realizing that he had noticed the exact detail I had tried so hard to hide on my first day. I let out a breath that felt like a laugh, the last remnants of my fear finally melting away.
"I think," I said, crossing my arms with a small smile, "my daughter and I have a contract to uphold."
