Chapter 5 - The Contract of Shadows
The room seemed to spin. I braced my hand against the mahogany dresser to keep from falling. "Marriage? Mr. Moretti, that's impossible! I am a penniless maid! High society will laugh at you—the syndicates will think you've lost your mind!"
"Let them think whatever they please," Luca replied, stepping closer until only a breath separated us. "A don does not ask for permission. He dictates reality. The syndicates respect only two things: power and blood. As my wife, you will have the full military might of the Moretti family guarding your every step. No one can touch Lily without going through you, and no one can touch you without facing my firing squads."
"And what do you get in return?" I asked, looking up into his dark, impenetrable eyes. "A fake wife from the servant quarters?"
"I get someone I trust with my daughter's life," Luca said softly. "In this city, trust is worth more than fifty billion dollars in offshore accounts. Vanessa proved that bloodlines and pedigree mean nothing. Loyalty is the only currency that matters."
Before I could answer, a loud crash echoed from the front courtyard downstairs, followed by the frantic barking of guard dogs and the sharp staccato of automatic gunfire.
Luca reacted instantly. Within a fraction of a second, a Beretta 9mm was in his hand, drawn from his shoulder holster. He grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him while positioning himself between the nursery door and Lily's bed.
"Stay down!" Luca ordered, his voice transforming into the commanding roar of a wartime general.
The nursery door burst open. Marco stood in the doorway, bleeding from a grazing wound along his temple, his assault rifle raised. "Boss! Bellini's private militia—they just breached the north perimeter gates! It’s Vanessa’s uncle, Salvatore! He’s brought three armored vans full of mercenary muscle!"
"Salvatore wants revenge for Arthur," Luca hissed, his eyes flashing with lethal fury. "Where is the perimeter security?"
"Matteo is holding the foyer, but they brought heavy explosives. They're cutting through the west wing right now!"
Lily woke up with a terrified shriek, sitting straight up in bed as the sound of exploding plaster and shattering glass ripped through the lower floor. "Daddy! Emmy!"
Luca looked at his trembling daughter, then turned to me. "The safe room beneath the wine cellar. Marco, take them through the service tunnel."
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"No, Luca!" I blurted out, gripping his sleeve with an instinctive desperation that surprised even myself. "The service tunnel exits near the west courtyard! If they've breached the west wing, they'll be waiting right at the mouth of that tunnel!"
Luca paused, his sharp mind immediately calculating the tactical layout. He looked at Marco. "She's right. Salvatore knows the layout of this estate; Vanessa had six months to map out every emergency escape route."