Semua Bab After Seven Years Adrift, I Found Safe Harbor: Bab 1 - Bab 10

"Elena, what are you staring at?" One of the Bellinis nudged me. The silver ring slipped from my hand and fell between the dock planks.I didn't pick it up. "The sun's too bright," I said.Luca had already boarded the ship with Sophia. She leaned against him as people onshore called out, asking about the wedding. Luca raised his glass. "Three days from now, at the Bellini estate. You're all invited."I stood at the back of the crowd and watched the ship sail toward the outer harbor. My mother texted back almost immediately. "Are you sure? The Riccis reached out a long time ago. They can send someone tonight if you're ready.""The sooner, the better," I replied and left.Whispers followed me. Someone said I'd waited seven years for a ring, only for Sophia to come back. An outsider like me should know when to step aside. Others pointed out that I wasn't a Bellini and had never had a seat on the council. No matter how much work I did for Luca, I was still just useful to him.I was walking

Early the next morning, Nina Moretti, the hotel manager, called to ask where I'd put last month's purchase invoices. I told her to ask Luca. There was a long silence before she said, "But Mr. Bellini said you always handled this.""Not anymore."I'd always kept separate books for the three hotels, warehouses, and underground gambling ring so the police couldn't trace everything at once. They were linked through an index system only Luca and I knew. I'd left the index, passwords, and instructions in the study. If Luca took the time to learn the system, he'd figure it out. But he was used to giving me a number and waiting for an answer. He couldn't even be bothered to check his own files.Luca called three times. I didn't answer. Then he sent a voice message, using the same tone he always did when he expected me to clean up his mess. "Enough games. The South Docks can't function without you."My mother set breakfast in front of me. "Still thinking about that bastard?""No." I turned off

A week later, Nina came to my house again.After Sophia took over the hotels, she fired two veteran accountants who refused to take orders from her. She even used the emergency fund to redecorate the penthouse. She knew nothing about shipping, yet she approved a shipment that hadn't been cleared by the Family. Word leaked, and the convoy was ambushed at South Bridge. A guard was shot, and the entire route had to be closed.Liquor distributors and food suppliers, afraid of being dragged into a Family conflict, stopped deliveries one after another. The private gambling operation couldn't pay out winnings on time, and clients crowded into the hotel demanding their money. Worse, the Old Don ordered an audit, and Luca couldn't explain several entries in the shadow ledgers.Books could be handed over. Relationships couldn't. Suppliers had given us credit for years because they trusted me to pay on time. Captains changed routes for us at a moment's notice because I never made them take the bl

A week later, the Bellini Family council made its decision. Luca lost control of the South Docks warehouses and shipping routes, and the Family's lawyers would liquidate the three hotels. The police also seized the hotels over tax and licensing violations, shutting down all legal operations. Compensation for the wounded guard, unpaid supplier bills, and losses from the gambling operation would all come out of Luca's share.The Bellini Family wasn't going to clean up everything for him. Their lawyers only handled matters that could affect the rest of the Family. Luca had to bear the remaining fines and debts himself. The South Bridge ambush was traced back to the unauthorized shipment he'd accepted. The rival crew handed over the gunmen, and both sides accepted the mediation. The wounded were compensated, and the disputed route was closed. No one was shot in the street. No bodies ended up in the harbor. Violence in Gray Harbor always had a price. Luca paid for it with his power.Sophia

News of Elena's engagement soon spread across Gray Harbor.Luca sat in his cramped apartment, staring at a photo someone had sent him. Matteo and Elena stood in front of a new ship at the Ricci shipyard, his hand resting on her shoulder. They both looked relaxed and happy.Over the past month, Luca had been sorting through what was left of the South Docks accounts. Only then did he realize how much Elena had done. She had kept the legitimate income separate from the Family's cut and left notes on every supplier, every shipping route, and even the problems employees faced at home. Every detail he'd once ignored now weighed on him.Without Elena, Sophia hadn't lasted a week. The moment Luca lost his territory, she left. Only then did he see the truth. Sophia had wanted the South Docks boss, not him. Elena was the only person who had stayed beside him from the days when he was still collecting protection money at the fish market.The night Sophia left, she threw the engagement ring on the