Chapter 63
Dante knew he could not hide the resurrection of this war from Maya. Their enduring, powerful love was built on a bedrock of absolute honesty and mutual survival. That night, after ensuring the children were deeply asleep, Dante handed Maya the intelligence dossier. Maya’s fair skin paled dramatically under the warm amber glow of the living room lamps. The horrific memory of Sophia’s panic attack in the back of the armored SUV, frantically drawing that purple vehicle with a crayon, rushed back to her, along with the chilling realization of the receipt hidden in the pastry box so many years ago.
But Maya was no longer the exhausted, terrified Bellanote waitress who feared the shadows of the mafia. She was the matriarch of the Russo family, a fiercely resilient mother who had successfully navigated her family through oceans of blood and betrayal. Instead of succumbing to panic or despair, her beautiful brown eyes ignited with an unquenchable, protective fire. She stepped forward, firmly cradling Dante’s sharp, stubbled jaw in her hands, fueling the former kingpin with her own unwavering strength.
"You cannot go to Florence alone with a strike team," Maya stated, her tone sharp, analytical, and entirely authoritative. "The Ember Consortium has been watching our every move. If you leave this villa heavily armed, their spotters will alert Aris instantly. We must use a cover they will never suspect."
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Dante looked at his wife in sheer awe. "What cover?"
Maya smiled, a brilliant, highly strategic glint in her eye. "Sweet Haven’s culinary academy currently operates dozens of refrigerated ingredient trucks across Italy every single day. Tomorrow, I will personally host a massive, highly publicized charity baking seminar at Sophia’s university. Matteo’s Alpha team can hide fully geared inside the temperature-controlled supply trucks. We will transport your private army straight into the enemy’s lair, right under their arrogant noses." Dante pulled Maya into a deeply passionate, grateful kiss. The darkness was closing in again, but Maya’s radiant intellect and bravery remained the most devastating weapon in his arsenal.
