Chapter 5 - The Woman Derek Thought He Could Break
The criminal investigation moved quickly once Victor Salerno was arrested.
Derek's carefully constructed life collapsed faster than Emma expected.
Northstar Development was exposed as a fraudulent investment operation.
Brittany admitted she had manipulated compliance records, though she insisted Derek had told her the money would be repaid.
Victor provided investigators with messages proving Derek knew exactly what he was doing.
Emma's forged signatures appeared on eleven documents.
Eleven.
Each one felt personal.
Derek had practiced her name.
Copied the curve of her E.
Learned the way she crossed the T in Carter.
There was something intimate about forgery that Emma had never understood before.
He had stolen not only money.
He had stolen her handwriting.
Her consent.
Her identity.
But he had failed to steal her future.
The trust remained intact.
Luca's bank had stopped the largest transfer before it cleared.
Several smaller losses were recoverable.
Derek's assets were frozen.
And Lily's paternity was legally established.
When Derek's attorney asked Emma whether she wanted child support, she answered immediately.
“Yes.”
The attorney seemed surprised.
Perhaps he expected pride to make her refuse.
Emma had learned better.
Support was Lily's right, not Derek's gift.
She would not deny her daughter anything merely to prove she could survive without him.
Luca approved.
Not that Emma asked.
“You're smiling,” she said when she returned from meeting her attorney.
“I smile.”
“Rarely.”
“Slander.”
“You look terrifying when you smile.”
“Useful.”
Life at the Moretti house slowly became strange in the most ordinary ways.
Emma fed Lily at three in the morning.
Luca made coffee at four.
Sofia complained that both babies had secretly coordinated their crying schedules.
Marco became unexpectedly talented at assembling baby furniture.
One afternoon Emma found him sitting on the floor surrounded by instructions for a portable crib.
“You can manage armed security operations but not this?”
Marco stared at the diagram.
“This was designed by an enemy.”
Emma laughed until Lily woke.
For the first time since the hospital, laughter no longer felt borrowed.
Luca remained careful.
He never entered Emma's room without knocking.
Never asked what she felt about him.
Never used his help as leverage.
That made Emma trust him more.
One evening they sat on the terrace while Lily slept beside them.
“Why aren't you married?” Emma asked.
Luca looked offended.
“An interrogation?”
“Curiosity.”
“You told me I don't strike you as curious.”
“I have hidden depths.”
He recognized his own words and smiled.
“I almost married once.”
“What happened?”
“I chose work too often.”
“She left?”
“I told her she should.”
Emma frowned.
“That sounds cowardly.”
“It was.”
“You loved her?”
“I thought I did.”
“And now?”
“Now I know love shouldn't make someone repeatedly ask whether they matter.”
Emma went quiet.
Luca looked at her.
“Bad subject?”
“No.”
Emma watched Lily sleeping.
“I spent three years asking Derek without realizing I was asking.”
Luca said nothing.
“He forgot birthdays. Canceled plans. Made me apologize whenever I needed something. And every time he gave me just enough affection afterward, I called it love.”
“You loved the person you believed he was.”
“I feel stupid.”
“Don't.”
“You can't order feelings.”
“I order many things.”
“Not me.”
“No.”
Something warm passed between them.
Emma looked at him.
“You really mean that.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if you ever choose me, Emma, I want to know you chose.”
Her heart beat faster.
He had said if.
Not when.
Not after everything I did.
If.
Emma stood.
Luca's expression became uncertain.
She walked around the table.
Then she kissed him.
It was brief.
Soft.
Luca did not move for a second.
Emma pulled back.
“You look surprised.”
“I was attempting not to hope.”
“That doesn't sound like Luca Moretti.”
“You are discovering my professional image is fraudulent.”
Emma kissed him again.
This time Luca responded.
One hand touched her waist.
The other gently cupped her face.
Then Lily cried.
They separated instantly.
Emma laughed.
Luca looked toward the bassinet.
“Excellent timing.”
“You said you respected babies.”
“Respect can be reconsidered.”
Emma picked Lily up.
Luca stood beside her.
Lily stopped crying almost immediately.
“See?” Emma whispered. “She wanted attention.”
“Manipulative.”
“She's six weeks old.”
“Early talent.”
Emma looked at Luca holding Lily's tiny hand.
Something inside her settled.
Not healed completely.
But settled.
Two weeks later, Emma returned to her apartment for the first time.
She expected pain.
Instead she saw possibilities.
She repainted the living room.
Sold the remaining furniture she hated.
Moved Lily's crib beside her bed.
She decided not to return to the marketing firm where she had worked before pregnancy.
Instead, she used a small amount of her own savings to restart a freelance brand-consulting business she had abandoned when Derek convinced her it was impractical.
Her first client came through Sofia.
The second through a former colleague.
Within three months she had six.
Luca offered introductions.
Emma refused.
He smiled.
“I expected that.”
“Then why offer?”
“Because respecting your independence doesn't require pretending I can't help.”
Eventually Emma accepted one introduction.
Not because she needed rescuing.
Because partnerships were not weakness.
She was learning that distinction.
Derek remained in custody awaiting trial on fraud, forgery, conspiracy, and related charges.
He requested visitation with Lily.
Emma nearly refused.
Her attorney reminded her that courts would decide based on Lily's interests.
So Emma agreed to one supervised meeting.
Derek entered the family-services room looking ten years older.
No navy blazer.
No expensive watch.
No Brittany.
Just a gray institutional uniform and tired eyes.
Emma held Lily.
Derek stared at her.
“She got bigger.”
Emma said nothing.
“Can I hold her?”
Emma looked toward the supervisor.
Then carefully placed Lily in Derek's arms.
Derek's hands trembled.
Lily looked up at him.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Derek had nothing clever to say.
“She has my eyes,” he whispered.
Emma's anger returned.
“You had to lose everything before you noticed them.”
Derek closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“No. You know now.”
He looked at Emma.
“I'm sorry.”
She waited.
“I was scared.”
“Of what?”
“Being ordinary.”
Emma stared.
Derek laughed bitterly.
“I wanted money. Status. I wanted people to look at me the way they look at Moretti.”
“And you thought stealing from your daughter's mother would make you powerful?”
“I thought I could fix it before anyone knew.”
“Brittany?”
“I thought she understood the life I wanted.”
Emma almost pitied him.
Almost.
“Did you ever love me?”
Derek looked down at Lily.
“Yes.”
“That makes it worse.”
“I know.”
Emma took Lily back.
Derek's eyes filled.
“Will she know who I am?”
“That depends on who you become.”
Hope appeared in his face.
Emma immediately clarified.
“I am not promising forgiveness.”
“I understand.”
“You endangered us.”
“I know.”
“You let another man believe frightening me was acceptable.”
Derek looked down.
“I'll live with that forever.”
“Yes.”
Emma stood.
At the door Derek called her name.
“Emma.”
She turned.
“Moretti loves you.”
She said nothing.
“I saw it at the hospital before you did.”
Emma looked at him.
“You were watching Luca?”
“No.”
Derek's voice broke.
“I was watching the way he looked at Lily.”
Emma's throat tightened.
“He looked at her the way I should have.”
Derek lowered his eyes.
“I think that's when I knew I'd already lost both of you.”
Emma left without answering.
That night she found Luca on her apartment balcony.
She had given him a key a week earlier.
“Derek said something today.”
Luca stiffened.
“Should I be concerned?”
“He said you love me.”
Silence.
Emma waited.
Luca looked almost annoyed.
“At least prison has improved his observational skills.”
Emma laughed.
Then she became serious.
“Do you?”
Luca looked at her.
“Yes.”
No performance.
No speech.
Just yes.
Emma stepped closer.
“How long?”
“Long enough to know I shouldn't say it until you're ready to hear it.”
“I am.”
Luca's breath changed.
Emma touched his face.
“I love you too.”
For a man feared throughout Chicago, Luca Moretti looked completely defenseless.
Then he kissed her.
Inside, Lily began crying.
Luca closed his eyes.
Emma laughed against his mouth.
“She does this intentionally.”
“You're accusing an infant again.”
“I have evidence.”
Emma took his hand.
“Come help me feed your tiny enemy.”
Luca followed her inside.
May you like
And for the first time, Emma realized that the happiest part of her new life was not being protected by a powerful man.
It was discovering that the powerful man trusted her enough to become gentle.
