Chapter 10 - The War Council|
The quiet on the terrace turned to stone.
Luca stood motionless, staring at the dark rose gardens as the full, hideous truth of his past assembled in his mind like pieces of a blood-stained puzzle.
Salvatore hadn't just sabotaged Ashwood Bridge; he had used an innocent mechanic to cover his tracks, murdered the mechanic to close the loop, and left two young sisters orphaned in Pilsen.
And then, that same night, the mechanic's daughter had crawled under three feet of freezing river water to save Luca's daughter's life.
Luca set his tea mug down on the stone balustrade with a quiet, terrifying click.
He walked over to Hannah, stopping so close she could feel the intense, white-hot heat radiating from his broad chest.
He reached out, his large, calloused hands cupping her delicate face, his thumbs gently wiping away her falling tears.
"Your father didn't destroy my family, Hannah," Luca whispered, his voice trembling with a deep, uncharacteristic emotion. "Salvatore destroyed both our families."
Hannah looked up into his gray eyes, seeing no anger directed at her—only an absolute, murderous devotion to justice.
"Luca..." she breathed out.
"For three years," Luca rasped, his face inches from hers, "I thought I was living in a nightmare built by fate. Tonight, I found out it was built by my uncle. And I am going to tear his empire down to the dirt."
Before Hannah could answer, the terrace doors flew open.
Rocco stepped onto the terrace, holding an encrypted glass tablet, his face grim.
"Boss," Rocco reported nervously. "Salvatore just called an emergency meeting of the syndicate captains at the docks for eight o'clock tomorrow morning."
Luca lowered his hands from Hannah's face slowly, turning his head toward his security chief.
"What is the agenda, Rocco?"
"Salvatore claims that since Sophia stood up tonight," Rocco revealed, "you are emotionally unstable and unfit to manage the family's shipping terminals. He's calling for an immediate vote to strip you of the chairmanship."
May you like
Luca let out a low, dark chuckle that sent a shiver down Hannah's spine.
"Tell my uncle I will be at the docks at eight sharp," Luca growled softly. "And tell him I'm bringing his worst nightmare with me."
