THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME SERVE HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER

That evening, the backyard of the estate was transformed.

There were no ice sculptures, no forced seating arrangements, no elitist snobs whispering behind their champagne flutes.

Just string lights hanging from the oak trees, a fire pit crackling in the center of the patio, and a jazz band playing softly on the terrace.

My mother was sitting in a comfortable lounge chair, wrapped in a thick blanket, laughing as Leo tried to teach Dorothy how to do a magic trick with a deck of cards.

I stood near the edge of the stone steps—the exact steps where Vanessa had shoved me just a few days ago. I traced my fingers over the cold stone, marveling at how much my life had changed in seventy-two hours.

I heard footsteps behind me.

Luca walked up, holding two bottles of beer. He handed one to me and leaned against the stone railing, looking out over the lawn.

“You look entirely too deep in thought,” he noted.

I took a sip of the beer. “I was just thinking about my ribs. They barely hurt anymore.”

Luca’s expression turned serious for a moment. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Kate. I should have seen what she was doing sooner.”

“You couldn't have known,” I said softly. “She played the part perfectly.”

Luca looked down at his hands. “I was blinded by what I thought I was supposed to do. A man in my position is expected to marry a woman from a certain family. To merge empires. To secure power.” He shook his head. “It was a business transaction. It was never love.”

He looked up, his dark eyes catching the light from the fire pit. “But watching you this week… watching how you protected Leo, how you stood up for Dorothy, how you handled the absolute worst of my world with nothing but grace…”

He smiled softly. “You reminded me of what actual loyalty looks like.”

I felt a warmth spread through my chest. Not a romantic warmth—but the deep, grounding warmth of a family I had always yearned for.

“So, what happens now?” I asked, bumping my shoulder against his. “Does the terrifying Mafia Boss retire and become a suburban barbecue dad?”

Luca laughed, a genuine, deep sound that echoed across the lawn.

“Not quite,” he said. “I’m dismantling the illegal sides of the business. Moving everything into legitimate shipping and real estate. It’ll take time, but the syndicate dies with my generation.”

He turned to face me fully.

“But I do need a new partner,” Luca said, his eyes serious. “Someone I can trust absolutely. Someone who isn't afraid to tell me when I’m wrong.”

I blinked, surprised. “You mean… me?”

“I’ve already spoken to the lawyers,” Luca said, pulling a folded document from his jacket pocket. “I’m legally transferring half of the estate, and half of the legitimate businesses, into your name, Kate. You’re a Moretti. It belongs to you as much as it belongs to me.”

I stared at the paperwork, completely overwhelmed. “Luca… I don't know anything about running a shipping company.”

“You know how to survive,” Luca said, pressing the papers into my hand. “And you know how to protect the people you love. We can teach you the rest.”

I looked over at my mother, who was smiling and clapping as Leo finally pulled a coin from behind Dorothy’s ear.

I had spent my entire life trying to survive. Scraping by. Apologizing for things I didn't do. Bending over backward for people who didn't care if I broke.