Chapter 4

Two days later, Sophia called from a new number and asked why I'd blocked Luca.

"The hotels are falling apart. He hasn't slept in days. You've been with him all these years. Are you really going to watch him lose everything?"

"And how is that my problem?"

"Don't you know how things work?" she scoffed. "You two were never married. There was no wedding ceremony. Luca was free to choose whoever he wanted. You never had a title, so you should know when to step aside. But you can't just walk away from all the work."

My hand trembled as I held the phone. Not from guilt, but from disbelief. Sophia wanted my place, my house, and Luca, yet she still expected me to keep everything running for them.

"You're right, Sophia. I had no title." I spoke slowly. "So the Bellini books, the cargo, and whether the whole operation survives or falls apart are no longer my problem. Don't call again."

I hung up and blocked her number too.

That afternoon, Matteo took me to an old cinema in North Bay. After the movie, he spotted a black car across the street. Luca was leaning against it with two men behind him. He'd clearly been waiting for us.

"Want me to handle it?" Matteo asked.

"No. Keep driving."

The car passed Luca. I didn't turn around. In the rearview mirror, I saw him watching us, his face dark with anger. Once, a single word from him could have stopped our car. But this was North Bay, Ricci territory. This time, he could only watch us leave.

That night, Luca called again from another number. When I answered, he said the same thing as always. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

"I'm not. I'm done."

"You're going to give up everything we built over seven years just because I chose Sophia?" He tried to contain his anger. "I've known you since you were eighteen. You think I don't know you? I know you're hurting, but I need you right now."

I laughed. "Luca, that's what disgusts me most about you. It's always about what you need. When you needed the books done, I stayed up all night. When you needed the cargo protected, I faced armed captains for you. When you decided to marry Sophia, you expected me to smile, step aside, and keep running your hotels. But when I needed a place at your side, when I needed your respect, where were you?"

There was a long silence. He finally said he was sorry, then asked me to come back and finish the handover.

"Everything is in the study. The key to the shadow ledgers is under the third drawer. If you can't manage your own business, hand the position back to the council." I closed my eyes. My voice was calm now. "Luca, this is the last time I'll answer your call. Take care of yourself."

After I hung up, my mother came in and handed me a cup of tea. She didn't ask what Luca had said. "Matteo cares about you, but you don't owe him anything. Take care of yourself first. Then decide whether you're ready to love someone else."

I nodded. Leaving Luca wasn't about rushing into another man's arms. It was about slowly finding the parts of myself I'd lost over those seven years.