Chapter 8 - Roman Gave Me a Ring—Then My Mother Revealed the One Secret Even Gabriel Hadn't Known
The investigation lasted months.
The criminal network collapsed.
The DeLuca companies were restructured.
Roman testified.
Gabriel testified.
My mother testified.
The Four Heirs were protected.
Nico received medical care and eventually learned to speak again after a surgical procedure.
The first thing he said was:
“Dad.”
Roman cried.
Everyone did.
I watched them from the doorway.
I realized I had become part of something I never expected.
A family.
Not perfect.
Not clean.
But real.
Roman proposed quietly.
No cameras.
No reporters.
Just the two of us in the diner after closing.
He put a ring on the counter.
“I don't want to own your life.”
“You'd better not.”
“I don't want to control you.”
“Good.”
“I want to spend the rest of mine earning the right to stand beside you.”
I stared at him.
“You've rehearsed that.”
“A little.”
I laughed.
“Yes.”
Then my mother arrived.
She looked at me.
“We need to talk.”
She handed me a letter.
It was from Gabriel.
He had written it before the final operation.
Inside was one sentence that shocked me.
There was another child.
Not a fourth heir.
A fifth.
My mother had secretly given birth to a daughter before me.
My half-sister.
She had been adopted.
Her name was Sofia.
She lived in Queens.
My mother had hidden her to protect her from both sides.
We found her.
She was a teacher.
Twenty-six.
And she looked exactly like my mother.
Sofia was shocked by the truth.
But she didn't run.
May you like
She joined the family.
For the first time, our table had enough people to fill every chair.
