Chapter 5
Within twenty minutes, the Drake Hotel was evacuated under a quiet, military-grade lockdown executed by Luca’s loyal vanguard.
A fleet of four black armored SUVs glided into the hotel's private subterranean parking bay. Rain had begun to fall over Chicago, heavy droplets splattering against the concrete pavement as the autumn wind howled through the underground tunnels.
Luca walked out of the service elevator, carrying three-year-old Sophia securely against his broad chest. The little girl had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her pale-yellow floral dress protected under his heavy black suit jacket, her small yellow shoes dangling against his waist.
Walking directly beside him, guarded by four elite soldiers with drawn submachine guns, was Hannah. She wore a heavy black wool coat provided by Luca’s staff over her mint-green service dress, her tear-streaked face pale but resolute as she stepped into the armored SUV.
"Frank," Luca commanded as he slid into the rear leather seat of the lead vehicle, setting Sophia gently onto the seat between himself and Hannah. "Establish a Level-One perimeter around the Lake Forest estate. I want thirty men on the fence line, sniper teams on the roof, and complete communications monitoring."
"Right away, Boss," Frank acknowledged, slamming the heavy armored door shut.
The motorcade roared out of the subterranean garage, its tinted windows slicing through the rainy Chicago night toward the northern suburbs.
Inside the SUV, the atmosphere was thick with quiet, high-stakes anticipation. Sophia snuggled against Hannah’s side, resting her golden-brown curls against Hannah's mint-green dress while holding Luca's large, tattooed hand with her tiny fingers.
Luca looked down at the two of them. His piercing dark eyes held a complex, intense emotion that he hadn't felt in a decade. For three years, his mansion had been a cold, silent tomb filled with medical equipment, grieving shadows, and the constant threat of syndicate war. Tonight, for the first time, a flicker of genuine hope illuminated the darkness.
"Sabato knows," Hannah whispered softly, looking across the seat at Luca as the city lights blurred through the rain-slicked glass. "When I dropped that tray in the ballroom... when Sophia ran to me... Sabato's informants were in that crowd. He knows I spoke to you."
"Good," Luca growled, his sharp jawline setting like concrete, the dark tattoos on his neck flexing as he spoke. "Let him know. It saves me the trouble of hunting him down in the dark."
"He will come for the estate, Luca," Hannah warned, using his first name for the first time. "A man like that, once he realizes his treason is exposed, he won't run. He will try to burn everything down to cover his tracks."
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Luca leaned forward, his broad frame radiating an aura of terrifying, absolute dominance. He looked into Hannah's expressive eyes, his voice dropping into a low, unbreakable promise.
"Let him try," Luca whispered coldly. "He entered my nursery three years ago when I wasn't looking. Tonight, he enters my house where I am waiting for him."
