Chapter 8 - The Bride Who Saved the Family
The cathedral was empty.
Or appeared empty.
My mother stood near the altar.
She was holding the final piece of the ledger.
Luca entered behind me.
She smiled.
“You came.”
“You knew I would.”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“I knew she would.”
I stepped forward.
“Why did you leave custody?”
“To stop the final attack.”
“What attack?”
“Stefano had one remaining successor.”
“Who?”
She pointed toward the balcony.
A man stepped into view.
Luca went still.
“Matteo.”
His cousin.
The one everyone trusted.
Matteo smiled.
“Hello, Luca.”
I looked between them.
“What is happening?”
Matteo laughed.
“Your wedding united the families.”
He pointed toward the ledger.
“But it also made you the legal controller of the network.”
I felt sick.
“I don't want it.”
“You have it anyway.”
He stepped closer.
“Sign the transfer.”
“No.”
He raised a gun.
Luca moved.
“Don't.”
I grabbed his hand.
Matteo smiled.
“Good. You finally learned to obey.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
I took the document.
And tore it in half.
Matteo's face went white.
“What did you do?”
“You said the transfer requires my signature.”
“It does.”
“Then you just lost.”
The real document was elsewhere.
My mother had already sent the legal copies to federal authorities.
This was a decoy.
Matteo had exposed himself.
Security entered.
He tried to shoot.
Luca tackled him.
The gun skidded.
The fight lasted seconds.
Matteo was arrested.
The network collapsed.
My mother was taken back into custody.
My father remained protected.
The Moretti companies survived.
But Luca wasn't relieved.
He was exhausted.
I found him outside the cathedral.
He was sitting on the steps.
“Hey.”
He looked up.
“You were reckless.”
“You're welcome.”
“I could've lost you.”
“But you didn't.”
He looked at me.
“You're impossible.”
“You married me.”
“That was my first mistake.”
I smiled.
He stood.
“Second mistake?”
“Falling in love.”
I laughed.
“That's not a mistake.”
He looked at me.
“No.”
“It isn't.”
He took my face in his hands.
“I love you.”
I froze.
He had never said it.
Not once.
I touched his wrist.
“Say it again.”
“I love you.”
I smiled through tears.
“I love you too.”
He kissed me.
And for once, there were no gunshots.
No alarms.
No secrets.
The world simply stopped.
A week later, my mother came to the estate under supervised custody.
She asked to see me.
I went.
“I don't know whether I can forgive you,” I said.
“I don't expect you to.”
“But you're my mother.”
She cried.
“I know.”
“And I want to know you.”
She nodded.
“That is more than I deserve.”
I sat beside her.
We talked for three hours.
About my childhood.
My father.
Her choices.
My fear.
Her guilt.
Nothing was fixed.
But something started.
Forgiveness didn't arrive.
Understanding did.
And that was enough for now.
The final court hearings lasted nearly a year.
Stefano was convicted.
Matteo was sentenced.
Several corrupt officials were exposed.
The Moretti family left criminal operations behind.
Luca transformed the legitimate businesses.
He became a respected businessman.
I opened my own bakery in Milan.
It became famous.
People came for the pastries.
Then the story.
“The Mafia boss's wife owns this place.”
I hated that headline.
Luca thought it was funny.
“You married the headline.”
“I married you.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
May you like
He smiled.
“Good.”
