Chapter 6 - THE GHOSTS OF THE PAST
The damp, earthy smell of the greenhouse suddenly made me violently nauseous.
I stared at the tiny photograph inside the silver locket. My mother, looking twenty years younger, her smile bright and carefree. And standing next to her, looking at her with a profound, quiet adoration, was Don Antonio Moretti.
"Hannah?" Luca's voice pulled me out of the paralyzing shock. He was staring at the photo, his dark brows knitted in absolute confusion. "That's my father. Who is the woman?"
"That's..." My voice broke. I couldn't breathe. The walls of the greenhouse felt like they were closing in on me. "That's my mother."
Luca went perfectly still. He looked from the photograph to my face, tracing the shape of my jaw, the color of my eyes—features he had inherited from the very same man.
The silence that stretched between us was heavier than the Chicago winter.
"My mother told me my father was a mechanic," I whispered, tears of betrayal and confusion hot against my cold cheeks. "She said he died in a hit-and-run before I was born. She kept no pictures. She said it hurt too much."
Luca stood up slowly, lifting Sophie into his arms. The little girl rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted by the trauma. Luca picked up the leather ledger from the dirt, his eyes locked on me.
"We need to get back to the house," Luca said, his voice unusually gentle. The cold, ruthless Mafia boss had vanished, replaced by a man looking at someone who might share his blood. "The police will be arriving soon to deal with the fire. We have a lot of questions, Hannah. And only one person left who can answer them."
We walked back through the dark woods. The estate was swarming with emergency vehicles. The fire in the east wing had been extinguished, leaving a charred, black scar against the pristine white stone of the mansion.
Carlo, his arm in a makeshift sling, met us at the edge of the tree line. His face sagged with profound relief when he saw Sophie safely in her father's arms.
"The police are taking statements in the courtyard, Boss," Carlo reported gruffly. "We handed Silas and Victor over to the authorities. Told them they were caught stealing during the fire panic. Kept family business out of it."
"And Vanessa?" Luca asked, his voice hardening into steel.
"She tried to run when Silas was arrested," Carlo said with a grim smile. "We secured her in the basement holding room. She's screaming bloody murder."
Luca nodded. "Take Sophie to my private quarters. Post three men on the door. No one goes in but me or Hannah."
Carlo gently took the sleeping girl from Luca.
Luca turned to me. "Come with me."
We bypassed the chaotic courtyard, entering the mansion through a secure side door. We walked down the long, opulent hallways, the smell of smoke still clinging to the walls. We entered the master study.
Sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, was Teresa Moretti.
When she saw us walk in, she let out a long, ragged exhale. She reached her hands out toward Luca.
Luca knelt beside her wheelchair, taking her hands. "Sophie is safe, Mom. Dante is dead. Silas and Vanessa are finished."
Teresa closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her wrinkled cheek. She squeezed his hands, then looked over his shoulder at me.
Luca stood up. He pulled the silver locket from his pocket and held it out to his mother.
"Mom," Luca said softly. "Dante had this. Sophie found it. Who does it belong to?"
Teresa's eyes widened when she saw the silver locket. She didn't look angry. She looked profoundly, deeply sad. She reached out with a trembling hand and took the locket, running her thumb over the smooth metal.
She took a deep, agonizing breath. Her stroke recovery had been a grueling battle, but tonight, the sheer force of a mother's will was tearing through the neurological damage.
"Mine," Teresa whispered. Her voice was raspy, but the single word was clear.
"It's yours?" Luca asked, shocked. "Mom, the picture inside... it's Dad. But the woman with him is Hannah's mother. Why do you have a picture of my father with his mistress?"
Teresa shook her head vehemently. "No... mistress."
She looked at me, her eyes filled with a terrifying, beautiful clarity.
"Friend," Teresa managed to say, pointing to the photo of my mother. Then she pointed to Antonio Moretti. "Boss."
She swallowed hard, fighting for the words. "He... protected... her. From... him."
Teresa raised a shaking finger and pointed directly at a framed photograph on the mantelpiece. It was a picture of Silas, taken years ago.
"Silas... wanted... her," Teresa forced out, exhaustion making her voice waver. "Antonio... hid... her. Kept... her... safe."
The pieces of the puzzle slammed into place with dizzying speed.
My mother wasn't Antonio's mistress. She had been targeted by Silas, a man known for his cruelty and obsession. Antonio, Luca's father, had protected her, hiding her away, providing for her, and ensuring Silas never found out she was pregnant with another man's child. My real father's child.
"That's why you hired me," I realized, stepping forward, my hand covering my mouth. "When I applied for the maid position eleven months ago... you saw my last name. You recognized me. You knew my mother needed money for her surgery."
Teresa nodded slowly, offering a weak, beautiful smile. "Promise... Antonio. Keep... you... safe."
I fell to my knees beside her wheelchair, burying my face in her lap, sobbing uncontrollably. For eleven months, I thought I was just a servant, invisible to these wealthy, powerful people. I thought Vanessa's cruel words were the truth—that I was nothing.
But I had been protected by a ghost. And watched over by a queen.
Luca placed a warm, heavy hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him. The cold, impenetrable barrier between the Mafia Don and the maid was completely gone.
Before either of us could speak, the study doors burst open.
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One of Luca's guards stood there, his face pale, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead.
"Boss!" the guard gasped. "It's Vanessa! Her father's men just breached the south gate. They hit the transport van. Silas is gone, and they broke Vanessa out of the basement. They're heavily armed, and they're moving on the house!"
