With Jeremy gone, with his wife and his best men by his side, heading for Kenya on business that could very well turn into war, balance shifted—not in a way that was immediately noticeable, not in a way that would send shockwaves through the household.But like a slow-moving storm building on the horizon, inch by inch, unseen until it was too late to escape.And Jeremiah had been waiting for this moment.Two days before his departure, Jeremy called a meeting in the main study, the grandest room in the estate, lined with walls of leather-bound books, its heavy drapes drawn just enough to let the golden afternoon light filter through in streaks across the polished wooden table.He stood at the head of the room, his fingers pressed against the smooth surface, his sharp gaze moving across the gathered faces—men he trusted, men he expected loyalty from, men who knew that his word was absolute.His tone was firm, unwavering."While I’m gone, Jeremiah is in charge of all business operations.
She found him in his office before dawn, the amber glow of a single desk lamp casting shadows over his face.He was studying maps, red markers slashing across Kenya like battle lines, stacks of intelligence reports spread across the table, his posture relaxed but his expression anything but.Jeremy was always careful, always calculating, always ahead of the enemy.But Africa was different.Africa had unwritten rules.It had warlords. It had power struggles far beyond the Mafia’s usual reach.And the Russians? They weren’t just telling him to back off—they were warning him.Elena knew Jeremy never backed down from a fight.But she also knew something else.The most dangerous men always thought they were untouchable—until they weren’t.She didn’t knock.Didn’t wait for permission.She just walked in, stood in front of his desk, and said the one thing she had never said before.“I’m coming with you.”Jeremy’s eyes flicked up from the reports, his expression unreadable.Then—He leaned ba
The Cali estate had witnessed many grand occasions, but JJ’s christening was unlike any other. It was not a wedding, not a coronation, not a declaration of war—but it was something just as sacred, just as powerful, just as defining.It was the christening of the next Cali heir.The chapel had been transformed overnight, draped in white and gold, the wooden pews polished until they gleamed beneath the glow of flickering candles. The air smelled of burning incense and fresh lilies, a scent that had carried through generations of Cali baptisms. It was tradition, and if there was one thing the Cali family valued, it was tradition.Jeremy stood at the front of the chapel, his broad shoulders squared, his jaw locked, his expression a careful mask of control. Elena stood beside him, her hands cradling JJ’s small, delicate body, her arms tense, as if she knew, deep down, that this wasn’t just a ceremony—it was a statement.The room was filled with the most powerful names in the underworld, me
The once silent halls now carried the sound of tiny, playful squeals, the rhythmic creak of a rocking chair, or any other object JJ felt like breaking that day, and the occasional soft lullabies sung in hushed tones. The house had always been alive with power, with business, with the weight of its history, but now, it held something fragile. Something new.JJ had changed everything.Elena sat in the nursery, her body curled around the small bundle in her arms, watching as JJ fussed quietly, his tiny hands gripping her shirt. His skin was still soft and pink, his breaths uneven as he drifted in and out of sleep, his dark lashes fluttering against his cheeks.He was beautiful.And he was hers.She hadn’t known love could feel like this, hadn’t known it could be so terrifyingly deep—the kind that pressed against her ribs, making it hard to breathe, the kind that made her wonder how much of herself she was willing to lose just to keep him safe.Her son.Jeremy Cali’s son.Elena traced a s
Six months laterJJ had been teething, and with it came colic, fever, and all the other things babies developed at that age. Elena was doing all she could to ensure he ate and slept, too. Mama had been of help, too, all through JJ's growing-up journey. The journey was far from over anyway. The sun filtered into the dining room in soft bounces, like it wasn't sure whether it should shine or not. JJ lay lazily on his mother's lap as she tried to coo him to sleep. She had the heaviest eye bags, evidence every toddler Mum has. JJ hadn't slept a wink last night. The only arms he slept off automatically in were his dad's, but Jeremy was away for a business trip. He should be back any minute now. Mama was a bit under the weather, so it was just Elena and her baby. She didn't trust any of the housekeepers enough to leave JJ alone with them so she could get some sleep. She had asked one of the kitchen staff to get her warm water in JJ's feeder, but he hadn't been back yet. Trent, the staf
The world blurred between consciousness and nothingness, the edges of reality soft, dreamlike, unreal as Elena struggled to pull herself from the depths of anesthesia, from the weight of exhaustion that still clung to her bones.She heard voices—muffled, distant, filled with emotions she couldn't yet grasp.Then—warmth.Not the heat of the hospital lights, not the warmth of a touch she recognized, but something small, fragile, and pulsing with life against her chest.Her baby.Her son.Her entire world.Her breath shuddered out of her, her body still weak, her muscles trembling as she forced her eyes open, blinking against the brightness.And there he was.Tiny. Perfect. Alive.Her fingers trembled as she reached out, brushing them gently over the softest skin she had ever touched, tracing the delicate curve of his tiny hand, his impossibly small fingers curling instinctively around hers.For a moment, just a moment, the world stopped.There was no Mafia.No secrets.No war.Only this