Chapter 7 - SHADOWS OF THE PAST
Three months later.
The summer warmth had fully arrived in New York. The gardens of the Moretti estate were in full bloom, filled with red roses, white hydrangeas, and the sweet scent of fresh-cut grass.
In the newly renovated sunroom overlooking the pool, Elena sat at a round glass table, working on her laptop. She was finalizing the charity gala schedule for the Moretti Foundation—a charitable branch Luca had expanded to support women and children escaping domestic abuse.
A shadow crossed the doorway.
Luca walked in, wearing a casual linen shirt and dark trousers. He held two glasses of fresh iced tea, placing one beside her laptop before sitting down across from her.
"You're working too hard," Luca noted gently, taking her hand across the table.
Elena smiled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "I love it, Luca. For the first time in my life, I'm doing work that actually changes people's lives."
"You changed my life," Luca reminded her softly.
Before she could answer, Marco walked into the sunroom, his face unusually grim. He held a secure tablet in his hand.
"Boss," Marco said quietly, glancing at Elena before looking at Luca. "We have an issue."
Luca’s demeanor shifted instantly, his relaxed expression hardening into alert focus. "What is it?"
"Julian Bennett," Marco said the name like a bad taste in his mouth.
Elena’s blood ran cold. The glass of iced tea in her hand trembled.
Julian Bennett. Her ex-husband. The man who had terrorized her for four years, the man whose gambling debts and violent temper had forced her to flee Chicago in the middle of the night with six-month-old Mia.
"What about him?" Luca asked, his voice dropping an octave into pure danger.
"He just checked into a hotel in Manhattan," Marco reported. "He's been making inquiries about Elena's whereabouts for the past three days. He hired a private investigator who tracked her employment records from Chicago to New York."
Elena pulled her hand back from Luca's, pressing her palm against her chest as panic flared in her throat. "How... how did he find me?"
"When the federal prosecutor released the public statement regarding Vincent Russo's trial," Marco explained, "Elena's name was listed as a key state witness. Julian saw the news report."
Elena covered her face with her hands, a shudder running through her frame. "Oh God. He knows where Mia is. He's going to try to take her!"
Luca stood up smoothly. He walked around the table, pulling Elena out of her chair and drawing her tightly into his arms. He held her against his chest, his iron grip providing an instant anchor against her rising panic.
"Listen to me, Elena," Luca commanded gently into her hair. "He will never lay a hand on you or Mia again. Do you hear me?"
"Luca, you don't know him," she sobbed softly against his shirt. "He's unpredictable. When he owes money, he gets desperate. He thinks Mia is his property!"
Luca looked over Elena’s shoulder at Marco. His gray eyes were like molten steel.
"Where is he staying?" Luca asked Marco.
"The Regency on 54th Street," Marco replied. "Room 612."
"Is he alone?"
"He has two associates with him from a bookmaking syndicate in Chicago," Marco said. "Small-time loan sharks."
Luca looked down at Elena, cupping her face in his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"I want you and Mia to stay inside the house today," Luca said softly. "Marco will stay with you. I am going to take care of this."
"Luca, please don't get hurt," Elena begged, grabbing his lapels. "Don't do anything illegal. Don't let him ruin what we've built!"
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Luca smiled gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I told you before, Elena," Luca whispered. "I don't rule through violence anymore. I rule through competence. I'm just going to have a quiet conversation with your ex-husband."
