Chapter 10 - The Protected Room
By nightfall, Luca sat behind the massive mahogany desk in his private study. On the screen before him were the fully decrypted files from Harland’s private server.
Harland had been embezzling millions of dollars from the Moretti estate's maintenance and security funds over the past four years. But the final document on the screen revealed an even deeper, darker truth.
Emily Carter’s late husband had been an accountant for one of Luca’s legitimate shipping firms five years ago. Before his death in a sudden car accident, he had left a sealed digital trust fund in Emily’s name—a fund containing ownership shares in Luca’s primary port terminal.
Harland had discovered the trust six months ago. By keeping Emily isolated, underpaid, sick, and terrified of losing her housing, Harland had planned to force her into signing away her late husband's estate rights under the guise of "severance paperwork."
The termination notice in the laundry room hadn't just been an eviction—it was the final trap to strip Emily and Nora of their rightful fortune.
Luca leaned back in his leather chair, his blue eyes gleaming with cold, decisive purpose.
He walked up the grand staircase to the guest suite. Pushing the door open softly, he saw Emily resting comfortably under warm blankets, while tiny Nora lay fast asleep beside her, holding a brand-new teddy bear.
Emily opened her eyes softly as Luca entered the room. "Mr. Moretti..."
"Lorenzo told me everything about your husband's trust," Luca said softly, kneeling beside her bed. "Harland is facing federal fraud charges tonight. He will never touch this family again."
Emily’s eyes filled with tears of overwhelming relief. "I don't know how to thank you..."
Luca reached out, taking her small hand gently in his, his thumb softly brushing her warm skin.
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"You don't thank me, Emily," Luca murmured, his voice low and full of an unbreakable promise. "From this day on, you and Nora stay right here under my protection. And if anyone ever tries to hurt either of you again, they will have to answer to me."
Emily looked at him, seeing the fierce, unwavering protector beneath the feared mob boss, while outside, the rain stopped, leaving the estate calm under the rising moon.
