“You stopped being my brother the moment you put poison in my son’s birthday cake,” Dominic said coldly. He turned to Marcus. “Take him to the basement. Lock him in the vault. Let him rot in the dark for the rest of his natural life.”
In the sunlit private courtyard overlooking the Hudson, eight-year-old Ethan was blowing out candles on a brand-new, heavily inspected birthday cake.
Standing beside him, laughing freely for the first time in years, was little Lily. And right behind them, smiling warmly, was Sophia.
Dominic Moretti walked up behind Sophia, holding two glasses of sparkling cider. He handed one to her, his dark eyes softening noticeably as he watched the children play.
“The board of the syndicate has been restructured,” Dominic said quietly, looking out over the river. “Julian’s assets have been seized. And your mother’s medical debts have been paid in full, Mrs. Miller.”
Sophia turned to look at the powerful mafia boss, her heart fluttering despite herself. “You didn’t have to do all that, Dominic.”
“In my world, debts are always paid,” Dominic replied, clinking his glass against hers. “And saving my son’s life… that’s a debt the Moretti family can never truly repay. Which is why I’m offering you a permanent position here. As head of family estate security audits. Someone needs to keep an eye on everything I might miss.”
Sophia stared at him, dumbfounded, before a slow, genuine smile spread across her face. “You’re offering a former catering assistant a job running your estate security?”
“A woman who raised a daughter observant enough to spot a traitor in a ballroom full of killers?” Dominic smirked. “She’s the most qualified person in New York.”
As the afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the Moretti courtyard, Ethan grabbed a slice of cake—carefully checking the frosting first with a cheeky grin—while Lily cheered loudly, completely unaware that they were standing in the very heart of the empire, guarded by the most dangerous men alive, wrapped in an unexpected, unbreakable bond.
