LOGINSeveral months later…Spring returned to Italy with gentle warmth, painting the Romano estate in shades of green, white, and gold.Flowers bloomed along every pathway, climbing the stone walls and filling the gardens with sweet fragrance.Staff moved through the estate with easy smiles, stopping to chat as they worked. Laughter drifted from the kitchen windows, and somewhere outside, a child squealed happily.The estate no longer felt like the headquarters of a feared mafia empire.It felt like a family home.Life had found a peaceful rhythm.Lucia’s fashion house continued to flourish, but she no longer spent every waking hour there. She had built a talented team she trusted, allowing herself to enjoy the life she had worked so hard to create.Alessio had changed too.He still led the Romano family with the same quiet strength everyone respected, but work no longer consumed every hour of his day.During one afternoon meeting, Marco looked dramatically at the clock before closing his
The gardens had grown quiet.Hand in hand, Alessio and Lucia wandered along the familiar stone paths.Lucia drew a slow breath. “Can I ask you something?”He turned to her. “Always.”She hesitated for only a moment before smiling. “When did you fall in love with me?”The question hung gently between them. Alessio didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he simply looked at her.His eyes searched hers as though retracing every step that had led them to this moment.The frightened bride. The stubborn young woman who challenged him at every opportunity.The woman who had become his greatest strength. Finally…A small smile appeared. “The night you looked at me like I was dangerous…”Lucia tilted her head.“…and kissed me anyway.”She blinked. “That night?”He nodded. She laughed softly in disbelief. “I thought you were going to say something much more romantic.”“I am.” He stepped a little closer.b“Everyone who had ever looked at me before that night saw the same thing.”“The Romano heir.” “T
The Romano estate awakened before sunrise. Alessio stood up immediately to make a phone call.Lucia was curious about the phone call. Alessio called the people who invited them to the occasion to tell them to come do the occasion at their estate in two days.The people who invited them were simply pleased and accepted. Lucia who was watching smiled at the fearless leader. Alessio told her about it and she said it was a great choice.Two days later…Staff moved gracefully between the gardens, hanging strings of warm lights from the trees while florists arranged white roses along the pathways. Tables were dressed with elegant linens, and the scent of fresh flowers drifted through the cool morning air.Security remained as tight as ever, but the atmosphere was different. The guards smiled as they greeted one another.Some paused to help the decorators carry supplies before returning to their posts. There was no tension. No whispered fears that violence might erupt.Today marked one full
A month had passed since their anniversary.The Romano estate had settled into a rhythm that would have seemed impossible only a year earlier.The gates still stood tall, guarded by men in dark suits, but the atmosphere had changed completely.The guards no longer wore expressions carved from stone. They greeted gardeners by name, exchanged jokes with the kitchen staff, and even laughed when children ran across the front lawn.Several of the family’s most trusted employees had brought their children to the estate for the afternoon. Tiny footsteps raced through the gardens as little voices echoed between the hedges.Lucia stood on the balcony, watching them.A little boy chased a bright red ball while two girls giggled beside the fountain. One of the guards bent down to return the ball after it rolled toward the gate, earning a chorus of cheerful thank-you.She smiled to herself.A year ago, this place had felt like a fortress. Every hallway had been silent. Every face had been cautiou
Morning arrived gently.Golden sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, bathing the bedroom in a warm glow that chased away the last traces of dawn. Outside, birds sang from the gardens surrounding the Romano estate, their melodies drifting through the slightly open window.For once, there were no ringing phones. No urgent knocks at the door. No reports waiting to be signed.Only peace.Lucia blinked awake, stretching lazily beneath the blankets. She turned instinctively toward Alessio.He was still asleep. A small smile tugged at her lips. That alone was unusual.Alessio Romano rarely slept later than sunrise, his years of discipline making it almost impossible for him to linger in bed.Yet today, his breathing was slow and even, his usually composed face softened by sleep.Lucia rested her head against her hand, simply watching him for a moment. It amazed her how different he looked like this. The man the world feared…The man who could command an empire with a single word…Loo
Lucia stayed wrapped in Alessio’s embrace for what felt like forever.The steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her cheek grounded her, just as it always had. The ache she had carried all day dissolved into something warm and overwhelming.When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were still glistening. “You planned all of this?”A faint smile curved his lips. “For months.” She laughed through another tear. “And you let me think you’d forgotten.”“I had to make it believable.”She playfully swatted his chest. “I was this close to believing paperwork mattered more than me.”He caught her hand before it could fall and kissed her knuckles. “Nothing has ever mattered more than you.”Lucia smiled, her heart impossibly full. “You really are unfair.”“I learned from my wife.” She laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s true.”“It is.” He gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You taught me that the greatest victories don’t happen in boardrooms or battlefields.”“T
The Bratva didn’t attack a warehouse.They attacked a location connected to Lucia.The words hung heavily inside the breakfast room.Lucia stared at Alessio.“What location?”Alessio slid the report across the table.She immediately picked it up.The moment she saw the address, her stomach tightene
The records suggest someone inside the Romano family knew about Bianca’s pregnancy long before the wedding.Silence swallowed the library.Nobody moved.Nobody spoke.Lucia felt her pulse pounding in her ears.Across the room, Bianca had gone completely still.Matteo’s expression darkened instantly
The garden remained silent long after Marco finished speaking.They wanted to know where Bianca was.Not money.Not Romano territories.Not weapons.Bianca.Lucia’s stomach tightened.The realization bothered her more than she wanted to admit.Because it meant Bianca’s kidnapping had never truly en
Nobody knows.The words remained in Lucia’s head long after the guard left the dining room.Matteo’s safehouse had been attacked.Nobody knew whether he had escaped.Nobody knew whether he had been captured.Nobody knew whether he was even alive.The uncertainty settled heavily over the mansion.Al







