Chapter 7 - The Price of Saving Nora
Luca did not go alone.
He simply made Dominic believe he did.
The location was an abandoned Moretti freight terminal near the river.
Marco positioned security outside.
Federal agents surrounded the property.
But Luca entered carrying Vittorio’s ledger himself.
Nora was tied to a chair.
Dominic stood behind her.
Luca’s world narrowed.
“Let her go.”
“Ledger.”
“Her first.”
Dominic laughed.
“You’ve changed.”
“Yes.”
“All because of her?”
Luca looked at Nora.
“No. Because she showed me what I was becoming.”
Nora’s eyes filled.
Dominic wanted the original ledger because it contained handwritten annotations connecting him directly to the shell companies.
Luca held it over a barrel fire.
“One move and it burns.”
Dominic’s composure cracked.
Nora noticed something Luca did not.
A second man behind the loading platform.
She shifted her eyes.
Luca understood.
The attack came quickly.
The second man rushed Luca.
Nora kicked backward, knocking Dominic off balance.
Luca threw the ledger away from the fire and tackled the attacker.
Federal agents stormed the terminal.
Dominic grabbed Nora.
A gun appeared.
Luca froze.
Dominic pressed it against Nora’s side.
“Everyone back.”
Agents stopped.
Dominic dragged Nora toward an exit.
Then Nora did something insane.
She stepped on his foot.
Hard.
Dominic flinched.
She twisted.
Luca lunged.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Marco reached them.
Seconds later, Dominic was on the floor in handcuffs.
Nora stood shaking.
Luca approached slowly.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Then she slapped him.
Every agent pretended not to see.
“You were supposed to let professionals handle this.”
“I brought professionals.”
“You walked inside.”
“You were inside.”
“That isn’t an excuse.”
“I know.”
She slapped his chest this time.
Then again.
Then she grabbed his jacket.
Luca wrapped his arms around her.
Nora cried against him.
He held her without speaking.
Afterward, life did not magically become easy.
Dominic faced federal racketeering, fraud, kidnapping, and conspiracy charges.
Celeste accepted a cooperation agreement.
Adrian returned to Moretti Continental temporarily before announcing his retirement.
Elena entered therapy for the guilt she had carried since Samuel’s death.
And Nora?
Nora moved into a hotel.
Not Luca’s estate.
That was intentional.
Luca hated it.
But he respected it.
For the first time in his life, he learned that wanting something did not entitle him to it.
Three weeks passed.
He sent no expensive gifts.
Nora had warned him.
“If a sports car appears outside my hotel, I’m divorcing you.”
So Luca sent nothing.
Then one Thursday morning, an envelope arrived at his office.
Inside was their wedding photograph.
Nora had written something on the back.
WE SHOULD PROBABLY TRY THIS AGAIN WITHOUT THE PUBLIC HUMILIATION.
Luca smiled.
His assistant stared.
Nobody at Moretti Continental had seen Luca Moretti smile at paper before.
Then his phone rang.
Nora.
He answered immediately.
“Dinner?”
she asked.
“Yes.”
“I haven’t said when.”
“Yes.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Yes.”
She laughed.
Then her voice softened.
“Tomorrow. Seven.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Luca?”
“Yes?”
“This isn’t forgiveness yet.”
“I know.”
“It’s a beginning.”
He looked at their wedding photograph.
“I’ll take it.”
The call ended.
Luca turned the photograph over again.
Only then did he notice another line beneath Nora’s message.
It was written in smaller letters.
There’s something else Vittorio left us.
Luca stared at the words.
Then his office door opened.
May you like
Nora walked in carrying a sealed envelope bearing Vittorio Moretti’s handwriting.
And neither of them knew yet that what was inside would change the Moretti family forever.
