Chapter 10 - The True EmpireLuca didn't hesitate.
Before I could draw another breath, his arms wrapped securely around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest, and his lips crashed down onto mine in a fierce, demanding, utterly consuming kiss.
It wasn't a business arrangement. It wasn't a legal loophole. It was an explosion of suppressed passion, months of tension, unspoken desires, and a mutual survival that had forged us into something unbreakable.
My hands flew up, grabbing the lapels of his white dress shirt, pulling him closer as the world around us—the grand foyer, the sprawling estate, the looming threat of Giancarlo, the ghost of Derek Morrison—simply melted away into nothingness.
When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing heavily, resting our foreheads together in the quiet moonlight, Luca’s thumb gently brushed away a stray tear from my cheek.
"I don't need the board's approval, Emma," Luca murmured, his voice rich and steady against my lips. "I don't need Moretti Global, and I don't need fifty percent voting control. If they ever tried to challenge us, I would burn the entire conglomerate to the ground tomorrow morning just to buy you a single cup of coffee."
A genuine, radiant smile broke across my face, the heavy knot in my chest finally dissolving completely.
"Good," I whispered, sliding my arms around his neck. "Because I happen to be a very expensive partner."
Luca chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated through his entire chest, and kissed me again—longer, sweeter, and with absolute finality.
Upstairs, in the private nursery suite, a tiny, soft cry echoed down the hallway.
Chloe was awake.
Luca pulled back slowly, taking my hand in his, his fingers intertwining with mine as we turned toward the grand staircase together.
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"Come on, Mrs. Moretti," Luca smiled, his eyes gleaming with a fierce, protective pride. "Let's go check on our daughter."
We walked up the marble stairs side by side, leaving the shadows behind us forever, ready to
