Chapter 5 - The Storm Gathers
By 8:00 AM the following morning, the news of the broken engagement had devastated the local newspapers and financial blogs.
MORETTI-BELLINI MERGER COLLAPSES IN DRAMATIC ENGAGEMENT NIGHT SPLIT, read the headline on the Chicago Tribune's business page. BELLINI SHIPPING THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER DOCKLAND CONTRACTS.
I woke up in a luxurious guest bedroom on the third floor of the mansion. It was three times the size of my entire apartment. My father, Frank, was already awake downstairs, sitting in a velvet armchair in the sunroom, drinking hot coffee and chatting with two of Luca's burly bodyguards like they were old army buddies.
When I walked down the grand staircase, I heard heated voices coming from Luca's private corner office.
The heavy mahogany doors were partially open. I saw Luca standing behind his massive glass desk, flanked by his chief legal advisor, Arthur Vance, and his top lieutenant, Marco Rossi.
"Arthur, I don't care about the financial penalty," Luca was saying, his voice like grinding stones. "If Bellini wants to take us to court over the shipping terminal leases, let him try. Our legal team will tie his assets up in discovery for five years."
"Luca, it isn't just the court case," Arthur Vance argued, pacing across the Persian rug. "Salvatore Bellini has already called a meeting of the Commission for three o'clock today. He’s claiming you insulted his family honor without cause. He’s going to ask the other families to sanction a strike against our trucks."
Luca leaned over his desk, his fists resting on the polished glass. "Salvatore Bellini sent his daughter into my home to bribe and humiliate the woman who raised me. If the Commission thinks I’m going to apologize for defending Mama Rosa, they can come to this house and tell me themselves."
Marco Rossi stepped forward. "Luca, we have another problem. Vanessa Bellini isn't just angry; she’s bitter. My contacts on the South Side say she’s been making phone calls to the health board and the city inspection department. She’s trying to freeze your assets by targeting our legitimate businesses—starting with the catering company, the linen services, and the estate staff."
"She’s welcome to try," Luca growled.
Just then, Luca caught sight of me standing outside the doorway. He paused, his sharp gaze softening just a fraction.
"Emma," he said, gesturing for me to enter. "Come in. Close the door."
I walked into the office, feeling small between the powerful men in tailor-made suits. "Good morning, Mr. Moretti. I hope I’m not interrupting."
"You aren't," Luca said. He walked around his desk and stood in front of me. "I wanted to let you know that your father is safe. My personal physician reviewed his medical charts an hour ago. He’s arranged for a specialist from Northwestern Hospital to handle his physical therapy starting tomorrow—all expenses covered."
My breath caught in my throat. "Mr. Moretti... I can't accept that. That's thousands of dollars."
"You saved my mother's last gift to me, Emma," Luca replied firmly. "You risked your livelihood for a woman you barely knew because it was the right thing to do. In this house, loyalty is repaid ten times over."
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Before I could answer, his secretary hurried into the room, holding a encrypted satellite phone.
"Mr. Moretti," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "It's Salvatore Bellini. He’s on line one. He says if you don't bring Emma Reed and Rosa Alvarez to the Commission meeting at three o'clock to publicly apologize to his daughter... he will launch an all-out war by sundown."
