Chapter 14 - The Last Secret Between Them
Emergency lights came on.
Luca moved Natalie into the safe room.
She refused.
Naturally.
Marco arrived.
Gabriel's prison transport had been attacked.
Two guards were injured.
Gabriel vanished.
They knew where he would go.
Not to Luca.
To Sofia.
Luca called her.
No answer.
They raced to the Moretti childhood home.
The front door stood open.
Inside, Sofia sat in the dining room.
Gabriel stood behind her.
Gun raised.
He looked exhausted.
Finished.
But dangerous.
"Everything belonged to me," Gabriel said.
Luca remained calm.
"No. You stole everything you touched."
Gabriel demanded safe passage.
Luca refused.
Sofia suddenly laughed.
Gabriel looked at her.
"You spent forty years thinking fear was loyalty," she said. "Look around."
Police lights appeared outside.
"No one came for you."
Gabriel's hand trembled.
Natalie saw it.
So did Luca.
Gabriel aimed at Sofia.
Luca stepped forward.
"Take me."
Natalie's heart slammed.
Gabriel smiled.
"Still trying to be noble?"
"No."
Luca looked at his mother.
Then Natalie.
"I'm trying to be different."
Gabriel ordered him closer.
Luca obeyed.
Natalie noticed Sofia slowly moving one hand beneath the table.
A pistol was taped there.
Sofia grabbed it.
Gabriel turned.
Luca attacked.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Police stormed the room.
Gabriel was taken alive.
No execution.
No revenge.
Luca chose the ending his father never would have chosen.
Law.
Truth.
Consequences.
Three months later, Gabriel pleaded guilty after the evidence against him became impossible to contest.
Daniel received prison time.
Enzo entered witness protection.
Isabella left Europe with her sister.
David began rebuilding his relationship with Elena and Natalie, slowly and without demanding forgiveness.
Samuel became legitimate co-owner of Moretti Holdings.
Marco never stopped making jokes about it.
Sofia moved close to Luca.
Life became strangely ordinary.
Then Natalie discovered Luca had been hiding something.
She found documents inside his desk.
Property papers.
A small house.
Not mansion.
House.
Near Elena's apartment.
Natalie confronted him.
"You bought this?"
Luca looked guilty.
"I was going to tell you."
"Why?"
He hesitated.
"Your mother hates driving."
Natalie stared.
"So?"
"So I thought we'd live closer."
"We?"
Luca realized his mistake.
Natalie smiled.
"Interesting."
He recovered.
"Potentially."
"Very smooth."
"I've had a difficult year."
She laughed.
Then Elena called.
"Come over."
"Why?"
"I need help with groceries."
Natalie looked at Luca.
He sighed.
"I walked into that."
They drove over.
Six grocery bags waited downstairs.
Luca picked up four.
Natalie took two.
"Look at you," she teased. "Character development."
"I own several shipping companies. Logistics are my specialty."
They reached Elena's apartment.
The door was ajar.
Natalie's smile disappeared.
"Mom?"
No answer.
Luca set down the bags.
He pushed the door open.
The apartment was dark.
Natalie stepped behind him.
Then the lights suddenly came on.
May you like
And everyone they loved shouted at once.
But before Natalie could understand what she was seeing, Luca dropped to one knee.
