Chapter 10 - ASHES AND DAWN
The aftermath of the siege changed Chicago forever. Victor Rinaldi didn't just survive; he retaliated with a brutal efficiency that wiped the Moretti family off the map completely. The city learned a valuable lesson: you do not touch Victor Rinaldi’s family.
And I was family now.
Victor spent a week in the hospital recovering. I rarely left his side, and when I did, it was to manage the boys and Lucia, who had bonded through the trauma, becoming an inseparable unit.
When Victor was finally discharged, he returned to a mansion that was still under repair, smelling of fresh paint and wood polish. We stood in the kitchen, the exact spot where I had cooked that first meal.
"My men are loyal now," Victor said, his arm in a sling. "The threats are gone. You and Lucia... you have enough money now. You could leave. Go somewhere safe, where the shadows don't reach."
I looked at him, crossing my arms. "Are you trying to fire me, Mr. Rinaldi?"
"I'm trying to give you an out, Serena."
May you like
"I don't want an out," I stepped closer, resting my hand over his heart. "I want you. I want the boys. I want this crazy, chaotic, beautiful family."
Victor let out a breath that sounded like a prayer, pulling me tight against his chest. "Then you stay. Forever."
