He didn’t lead her to the servants’ quarters. He bypassed the main staircase and led her into his private study—a room no one, not even Alessia, was allowed to enter. He guided her to a plush leather chesterfield sofa and gently pushed her down.
He walked over to a wet bar, poured a neat amber liquid into a crystal glass, and brought it to her. “Drink.”
Emma took it with a shaking hand and swallowed the bourbon. She coughed as it burned a path down her throat, bringing some color back to her pale cheeks.
Luca pulled up a chair directly in front of her. He pulled a pristine white linen handkerchief from his pocket and reached forward. Emma flinched slightly, but he didn’t pull away. He gently dabbed the blood from her split lip, his dark eyes entirely focused on her face.
“She was jealous of you,” Luca stated quietly.
Emma looked down at the floor. “I am just a maid, sir.”
“You are the woman who runs this entire estate with more efficiency than my capos run their territories,” Luca corrected, his hand lingering on her cheek for a fraction of a second longer than necessary. “And you are the only woman who has ever looked me in the eye without fear. Alessia saw that. She hated it.”
Emma finally looked up, her breath hitching as she met his intense gaze.
“She crossed a line today,” Luca said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the quiet room. “No one touches what is under my roof. No one touches what is mine.”
The implication of his words hung heavily in the air between them. Emma had spent three years blending into the background, observing the ruthless, brilliant mafia boss from a safe distance. She had known about his cruelty to his enemies, but she was suddenly realizing the overwhelming, terrifying depth of his protection.
Luca stood up, taking the empty glass from her hands. “I will have Dr. Rossi come look at your arm. For now, you are relieved of your duties. Permanently.”
Emma’s heart plummeted. “You… you are firing me?”
Luca paused, turning to look at her over his shoulder. A faint, genuine smile—a rare thing that transformed his ruthless features into something devastatingly handsome—touched the corners of his mouth.
“No, Emma,” Luca Moretti said softly. “I am moving you to the master wing. You are done serving. From now on, you are the one who is served.”
The mafia boss came home early and found his fiancée doing something to his maid that ended their engagement that night. Luca Moretti knew something was wrong before he even opened the door. The hallway outside the west sitting room was silent.
Chapter 1 – THE CONFESSION SHE REFUSED TO GIVE
“You expect him to believe that?”
Bianca Romano’s laughter echoed through the sitting room, but nobody joined her.
Luca Moretti stared at his fiancée.
Then he turned toward Emma Carter.
“Why can’t you tell me?”
Emma slowly stood from the chair.
Her wrists were red. Her uniform was torn near the shoulder. And despite everything she’d just endured, her expression remained remarkably steady.
“Because someone will get hurt.”
Luca felt something cold settle in his chest.
“Who?”
Emma glanced toward Bianca.
The movement lasted less than a second.
But Luca saw it.
“Emma,” he said quietly, “look at me.”
She did.
“If someone has threatened you, I need to know.”
Bianca threw up her hands.
“This is ridiculous! She’s manipulating you!”
Luca didn’t even turn.
“Bianca, be silent.”
His fiancée froze.
In three years together, Luca had never spoken to her that way.
Emma swallowed.
“Mr. Moretti, three nights ago, I was cleaning the upstairs library.”
Luca nodded.
“Go on.”
“I heard Miss Romano arguing with someone on the phone.”
Bianca’s face went pale.
“She’s lying.”
Emma continued.
“She said the Bennett acquisition had to happen before Friday.”
Luca’s expression hardened.
“Why?”
“Because someone was about to discover the missing money.”
The room went completely silent.
Luca looked toward Bianca.
“What missing money?”
She forced a laugh.
“I have no idea what she’s talking about.”
Emma took a shaky breath.
“She mentioned forty-two million dollars.”
Sophia Bell suddenly dropped her handbag.
The sharp sound made everyone jump.
Luca turned toward her.
“Forty-two million?”
Sophia stared at the floor.
Luca stepped closer.
“What do you know?”
She shook her head.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you trembling?”
Bianca moved between them.
“Enough! I refuse to be interrogated in my own home!”
Luca slowly turned.
“Your home?”
Bianca stopped.
The engagement had given her access to the estate.
Not ownership.
Not authority over its employees.
And certainly not permission to tie someone to a chair.
Luca looked toward his security chief, Vincent.
“Call the police. Preserve every camera recording. No one touches the sitting room until investigators document it.”
Bianca gasped.
“You’re calling the police on your fiancée?”
Luca looked at Emma’s injured wrists.
“Yes.”
The word struck the room like a gunshot.
Bianca stumbled backward.
“Luca, you’re making a mistake.”
He removed the engagement ring box from his jacket.
He had planned to surprise her with a new diamond setting that evening.
Instead, he placed the unopened box on the table.
“Our engagement is over.”
Bianca stared.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious.”
For the first time, she looked genuinely frightened.
Then Emma spoke.
“Mr. Moretti, there’s something else.”
Luca turned.
“What?”
Emma reached into the lining of her torn uniform.
She removed a small silver flash drive.
Bianca screamed.
“NO!”
Emma held it up.
“This is why she tied me to the chair.”
Luca stared at the device.
“What is it?”
Emma’s voice trembled.
“A recording of your fiancée admitting she plans to destroy you.”
The mafia boss came home early and found his fiancée doing something to his maid that ended their engagement that night. Luca Moretti knew something was wrong before he even opened the door. The hallway outside the west sitting room was silent.
Chapter 2 – THE VIDEO THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
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