Chapter 10 - The Last Secret
The morning sun rose over the Caruso estate, casting a warm golden light through the broken windows.
Contractors were already at work repairing the damage from the siege.
Inside the grand dining room, the atmosphere was completely transformed.
Maria Caruso sat at the head of the table, feeding baby Grace a spoonful of mashed peaches.
Hannah sat beside her, no longer wearing the gray maid's uniform, but a beautiful silk dress.
Julian held Hannah's hand, laughing openly for the first time in years.
Dominic stood near the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame with a cup of black coffee.
He watched his family with a profound sense of peace.
The Moretti organization had completely collapsed after Carlo's death.
The remaining rival factions had surrendered, terrified of the man who dropped a shipping container on his enemies.
Vincent Rizzo had survived emergency surgery and was currently resting in a private hospital wing.
The empire was secure, and Dominic's brother had returned from the dead.
Julian walked over to Dominic and handed him the old St. Christopher medal.
"I believe this belongs to you," Julian smiled.
Dominic pushed his brother's hand back gently.
"Pass it on to Grace," Dominic said warmly.
"She needs it more than I do."
Julian nodded, a look of deep gratitude crossing his scarred face.
"Thank you for not firing her, Dom," Julian joked lightly.
Dominic chuckled, taking a slow sip of his coffee.
He walked out of the noisy dining room and headed toward his ruined private office.
He needed to review the new security protocols to ensure his family would never be threatened again.
He pushed the heavy oak doors open and walked toward his mahogany desk.
The room had been cleaned, but the shattered window was still boarded up.
Sitting perfectly centered on his leather desk pad was a small, thick black envelope.
Dominic frowned, knowing that absolutely no one was permitted inside this room.
He set his coffee down and picked up the envelope, noticing a heavy wax seal stamped with a royal crest.
He broke the seal and pulled out a single piece of expensive parchment.
The handwritten note read: "The Morettis did not order your brother's crash, we did."
May you like
Dominic's blood ran cold as he flipped the paper over to read the final sentence.
"We know the child survived, Mr. Caruso, and the Syndicate will be collecting her soon."
