Chapter 10 - THE AFTERMATH
A month passed.
The bruise on my cheek faded completely, leaving behind only the memory of the night my life fractured and rearranged itself.
The Chicago autumn was turning bitter, the wind sweeping off the lake and rattling the massive windows of the Moretti estate. But inside, everything was warm.
I wasn't wearing a maid’s uniform anymore.
I was wearing a soft cashmere sweater, sitting on the rug in the main living room, helping Mateo build a sprawling fortress out of wooden blocks.
“Put the dragon here,” Mateo instructed, his tiny brow furrowed in concentration. He handed me a green plastic toy.
“Guarding the gate?” I asked, smiling as I placed it exactly where he pointed.
“Yeah, so the bad guys can’t get in,” he said matter-of-factly.
My chest tightened slightly, but I kept my smile in place. He was still processing everything. We all were.
Luca watched us from his armchair, a ledger open on his lap. But he hadn't turned a page in twenty minutes. He was just looking at us.
The transition hadn't been seamless.
The Five Families were restless. With Vanessa’s family dismantled, a power vacuum had opened in the South Side, and Luca was spending eighteen hours a day restructuring his empire to ensure no one dared challenge him again.
But more than that, he was changing the business. Shifting assets into legitimate real estate and shipping. He wanted a clean legacy for Mateo.
I stood up, dusting off my jeans, and walked over to him.
Luca closed the ledger immediately, reaching out to pull me onto the arm of his chair. He kissed my waist, resting his head against me.
“You’re working too hard,” I murmured, running my fingers through his dark hair.
“I’m almost done,” he promised, his voice rough with exhaustion. “A few more weeks, and the transition will be complete. We’ll be fully legitimate.”
“I know,” I said softly.
But there was a lingering tension in the house.
The staff treated me differently. Mrs. Carter, the head housekeeper who used to scold me for taking too long on my breaks, now averted her eyes and called me “Ma’am.”
It felt strange. I had gone from scraping by on seventy-four dollars to sleeping in the master suite.
But the biggest insecurity I harbored wasn't about money or status.
It was about Elena.
She had moved to a quiet coastal town in Maine to recover. She called every Sunday to speak to Mateo. She was gracious, kind, and always asked how I was doing.
But every time Mateo heard the phone ring, his face lit up in a way that shattered a tiny piece of my heart. I loved this boy fiercely, but I was not his mother. I was the woman who stepped in when his mother couldn't.
“You’re quiet,” Luca noted, looking up at me. His thumb traced circles on my hip.
“Just thinking,” I deflected, offering a small smile.
Before he could push further, the heavy double doors of the living room opened.
It was Marco, Luca’s new head of security—a man handpicked for his absolute loyalty.
“Boss,” Marco said, his face grim. “We have a situation at the front gate.”
Luca went rigid. He stood up, instinctually placing himself between the door and Mateo. “Who is it?”
“It’s a lawyer,” Marco said. “Representing the Bellini family.”
The blood drained from my face. Vanessa was in a private, heavily guarded psychiatric facility under Luca’s control, and her father had been exiled to Italy.
“What does he want?” Luca growled.
Marco hesitated. “He has documents, sir. He claims Vanessa Bellini filed a legal claim before her arrest. She’s demanding visitation rights.”
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Luca’s eyes darkened with a terrifying rage. “She has no legal right to my son.”
“She doesn't want visitation with Mateo,” Marco corrected, swallowing hard. “She filed a claim stating that during her time with Daniel, she became pregnant. She’s claiming the child is yours, Luca.”
