Chapter 6 - The Last Threat
Three months after Nora's afternoon in the laundry room, Victor Sloane's case was moving toward trial.
Harland had pleaded guilty to fraud and coercion-related charges and agreed to testify.
Luca believed the danger had passed.
He was wrong.
The warning arrived inside an envelope.
No return address.
Inside was a photograph of Nora walking through the estate garden.
On the back:
DROP THE TESTIMONY.
Luca's blood went cold.
Daniel immediately locked down the property.
“How recent?”
“Yesterday.”
Luca stared at the image.
Someone had photographed Nora from outside the eastern fence.
“Find them.”
Daniel nodded.
Elena entered before Luca could hide the photograph.
She saw it.
Everything changed.
“We're leaving.”
“Elena—”
“No.”
Her hands trembled.
“You said she'd be safe.”
“She will be.”
“You can't promise that.”
Luca knew she was right.
“I'll move you somewhere secure.”
“You don't understand.”
She looked close to tears.
“Nora finally stopped asking whether we were going to lose our home. She finally sleeps through the night.”
Luca approached.
“This isn't because of you.”
“It doesn't matter why.”
“It matters to me.”
Elena looked at him.
Luca lowered his voice.
“Nobody gets to make that child afraid again.”
The investigation traced the photograph to a private investigator hired by one of Victor's former associates.
The purpose was intimidation.
Nothing more.
But Luca treated it as a direct threat.
Authorities arrested the man forty-eight hours later.
Evidence from his phone exposed Victor's remaining network.
The final pieces fell quickly.
The criminal conspiracy collapsed.
Victor agreed to a plea rather than face trial.
For the first time in months, Luca could breathe.
But Elena had packed.
He found two suitcases beside her door.
“You're leaving.”
She nodded.
“I found an apartment.”
Luca felt something he hadn't expected.
Loss.
“Why?”
“Because I need to know we can stand on our own.”
“You already can.”
“I know.”
She smiled sadly.
“And that's partly because of you.”
Nora appeared carrying her stuffed rabbit.
“Mr. Luca?”
He crouched.
“You're moving.”
Nora nodded.
“Mommy says we can visit.”
Luca swallowed.
“I hope so.”
Nora wrapped her arms around his neck.
He froze.
Then held her tightly.
“You still have my shirt,” she whispered.
“I do.”
“You never cleaned it.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Luca looked at Elena over Nora's shoulder.
“Because some stains are worth remembering.”
Nora accepted that explanation.
Children sometimes understood things adults complicated.
Elena and Nora moved the following morning.
The estate became silent again.
For years, Luca had preferred silence.
Now he hated it.
No crayons appeared on his desk.
Nobody criticized his flowers.
Nobody demanded pancakes at midnight.
Three days passed.
Then four.
On the fifth evening, Luca stood in the laundry room.
The wooden stool remained in the corner.
He remembered Nora's red hands.
He remembered Elena telling him to ask people what they wanted.
So Luca did something he had never been good at.
He stopped trying to control the outcome.
He drove to Elena's apartment.
When she opened the door, surprise crossed her face.
“Luca?”
“I have a question.”
“Okay.”
He looked unusually uncomfortable.
That made Elena smile.
“What do you want?”
She stared at him.
“You drove across the city to ask me that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you told me to learn.”
Elena folded her arms.
“And what do you want?”
Luca looked past her.
Nora was asleep on the sofa beneath a blanket.
He returned his gaze to Elena.
“You.”
She stopped breathing for a moment.
“And Nora.”
His voice softened.
“Not as employees. Not as people I have to save. I want you in my life because the house feels wrong without you.”
Elena's eyes filled.
“That's not a small thing to say.”
“I know.”
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
She laughed through her tears.
Luca continued.
“I'm sure I want the chance to find out.”
Elena stepped closer.
“For the most feared man in the city, you're terrible at romantic speeches.”
“I've never practiced.”
“You should.”
“Is that a yes?”
May you like
She kissed him.
That was his answer.
