Chapter 10 - The Sovereign's Oath
Ten years later.
The Moretti estate looked less like a fortress and more like a citadel of quiet, untouchable power. The stone walls were draped in climbing ivy, the gardens were immaculate, and the sound of children laughing echoed across the expansive courtyards where armed guards once patrolled in rigid silence.
At the head of the grand mahogany dining table sat eighteen-year-old Leo Moretti—tall, dark-eyed, wearing a tailored black suit that fit his shoulders with terrifying precision. To his right sat eighteen-year-old Sophia Bellini, now the chief architectural engineer of the Moretti estate, reviewing structural blueprints on a sleek tablet while sipping black coffee.
At the far end of the table sat Rocco Moretti, now fifty-eight, his hair frosted with silver, his posture as unbreakable as steel. He watched the two of them—the boy who had been thrown in the trash and the girl who had refused to let him die—arguing quietly over the expansion plans for the vineyard tunnel network.
The heavy double doors swung open, and Marco stepped inside, placing a single white envelope on the center of the table.
"It’s from the Montenegrin monastery, boss," Marco said quietly. "The Sister Superior reports that Valentina passed away peacefully this morning. No visitors. No requests."
The dining room fell completely silent for three seconds. No one wept. No one cheered. In the world of the Moretti family, ghosts didn't deserve tears; they only deserved to be buried.
Leo looked up from his blueprints, his dark gaze meeting his father’s across the table. There was no fear in his eyes—only the cold, unyielding certainty of a dynasty that had survived fire, betrayal, and death itself.
Rocco raised his crystal glass of aged red wine, looking at his son, then at Sophia, and finally out toward the sunlit vineyard where the old tunnel gate stood locked forever.
"To family," Rocco said, his voice deep and steady, commanding the room as it always had.
May you like
Leo and Sophia raised their glasses in unison.
"To the blood that stays," they answered together.
