The journey continues in the next chapter. Keep reading to see what happens.

September arrived crisp and golden, painting the Westchester woods in brilliant shades of copper, amber, and crimson.

It was a morning Luca Bellini had imagined, dreaded, and hoped for every single day of the past three years.

Emma’s first day of kindergarten.

The local elementary school was a charming red-brick building surrounded by maple trees and cheerful playground equipment, located in a quiet, secure community fifteen minutes from the estate.

Luca stood by the front door of the house, wearing a well-tailored navy blazer and a crisp white shirt—no body armor, no hidden sidearms, no encrypted burner phones in his pockets. Just a set of car keys and a small camera hanging around his neck.

Rachel walked down the stairs, helping Emma adjust the straps of a bright yellow backpack that looked almost too big for her small shoulders.

“How do I look, Mommy?” Emma spun around, her dark curls bouncing, wearing a brand-new pink dress with white sneakers.

“You look like the smartest girl in the entire world,” Rachel smiled, her eyes glistening with happy tears. She looked up at Luca, her expression softening. “Well, Mr. Bellini? Are you ready?”

Luca walked over, kneeling down in front of his daughter. He looked into her bright green eyes—eyes that had once drawn a faceless monster on a piece of scrap paper because she didn’t know what her father looked like.

Today, her drawing pad at home featured a very different picture: a tall man with a clear face, smiling beside her and Rachel under a bright golden sun, signed with her own shaky, proud five-year-old handwriting: MY DADDY.

“Are you nervous, bug?” Luca asked softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“A little,” Emma admitted honestly, clutching her stuffed bear—Mr. Buttons—which was currently tucked safely inside the front pocket of her backpack. “Will you be waiting outside when school is over?”

Luca smiled, placing both hands gently on her shoulders.

“I won't just be waiting outside, sweetheart,” Luca promised, his voice filled with absolute, unbreakable certainty. “I’ll be right there every single day. I’m never missing another moment.”

Emma threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. “I love you, Daddy.”