Chapter 10 - The Vow and the Shadow
Luca was in the freezing water before Grace even fully registered the sound.
He swam desperately toward the dark wooden pilings beneath the pier, guided only by the faint whimpering.
Grace scrambled to the edge, her heart pounding with a desperate, impossible hope.
A minute later, Luca emerged from the shadows, dragging a massive, heavy shape onto the concrete boat ramp.
Titan lay on the wet cement, completely soaked and bleeding from shrapnel wounds, but he was undeniably breathing.
The dog had thrown the grenade just seconds before it detonated, taking the concussive force but avoiding the direct blast.
Grace fell to her knees, burying her face in the wet, black fur of the bravest animal she had ever known.
Titan weakly lifted his head and licked the salty tears from her cheek.
"He's going to make it," Luca said, panting heavily as he pulled himself out of the harbor.
Six months later, the Moretti estate was completely transformed.
The high stone walls remained, but the oppressive atmosphere of fear was gone.
Samuel Walker was locked in a maximum-security federal prison, awaiting trial for treason and organized crime.
Grace stood in the sunlit kitchen, wearing a beautiful, simple white dress, laughing as she chopped fresh basil.
Titan lay happily on a plush rug near the massive stove, sporting a few new scars but looking as majestic as ever.
Luca walked into the kitchen, wearing a casual linen shirt, looking more relaxed than the day she first met him.
He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pressing a soft kiss to her neck.
"The lawyers just called," Luca murmured against her skin.
"The master ledger was officially verified by the FBI, and my family name has been cleared of all past federal charges."
Grace turned in his arms, smiling up at the man who had risked everything to save her.
"Does that mean the dangerous Luca Moretti is officially retired?" she teased gently.
Luca pulled a small, velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a stunning, flawless diamond ring.
"It means the only thing I want to be in charge of for the rest of my life is making you happy," he promised.
Grace felt tears of absolute joy prick her eyes as she whispered a breathless "Yes."
He slid the ring onto her finger, sealing their perfect, hard-won happily ever after.
They kissed deeply, completely unaware of the world outside their beautiful sanctuary.
But far away, in the dark visitation room of the federal penitentiary, Samuel Walker sat smiling across from a mysterious woman in a red coat.
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"My daughter successfully married into the Moretti family, just as we planned," Samuel whispered to the glass.
"Initiate Phase Two."
