Chapter 20 - The New Dynasty
Three months later, the Moretti estate was unrecognizable. The dark, intimidating aura of a fortress had been replaced by a home—secure, impenetrable, yet filled with life.
The security upgrades remained state-of-the-art, but the heavy steel shutters were permanently open to the warm afternoon sun. Inside the nursery, Theo, Miles, and Nora were now walking, their childish laughter echoing down the grand hallways as they chased a golden retriever puppy across the polished marble floors.
I sat at my mahogany desk in the master study, reviewing corporate expansion reports for our legitimate global logistics firms. The underworld had fallen silent; without the Zurich board and Arthur Sterling, the remaining syndicates had either disbanded or pledged absolute allegiance to the Moretti name.
There was a soft, timid knock at the study door.
I looked up. Sophie stood in the doorway, wearing a pretty blue dress, holding a new, clean stuffed rabbit in one hand and a small drawing in the other.
"Come in, Sophie," I said, offering her a warm, genuine smile.
She walked across the room, stepping up beside my desk, and handed me the paper. It was a crayon drawing of a large castle surrounded by three small stick figures and one slightly larger figure holding a shield.
"That's us," she whispered shyly. "And you're protecting us."
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I took the drawing, feeling a profound warmth settle deep into my chest—a feeling I never thought a Mafia boss was capable of experiencing. I picked her up gently, setting her on my lap as I looked out the window toward the sunlit gardens where Elena was laughing with the children.
"Yes, Sophie," I said softly, resting my hand gently on her shoulder. "Always."
