Lorenzo Castellano stood immobile on the white-and-black marble, his amber-brown eyes tracking every subtle tremor in the Rottweiler’s broad back.

The trial of the remaining members of the Moretti syndicate took place in Rome three months later.

With the massive paper trail provided by Lorenzo, along with the testimony of rescued informants and digital evidence scrubbed from the Bergamo kennels, the entire network responsible for illegal animal trafficking, corporate espionage, and syndicate violence was permanently dismantled.

The news made headlines across Europe and America: THE CASTELLANO FOUNDATION DESTROYS INTERNATIONAL CANINE TRAFFICKING RING; BILLIONAIRE LORENZO CASTELLANO ANNOUNCES 100M FUND FOR WORKING ANIMAL REHABILITATION.

In a private ceremony held at the Queens Animal Care & Control center—the very shelter where Nina had adopted Ghost six years prior—a new, state-of-the-art medical wing was dedicated in memory of Sarah Vasquez, Nina’s late mother.

Nina stood before a crowd of news reporters, shelter workers, and local residents.

Beside her stood Lorenzo, his hand resting securely in hers. And sitting proudly at her right side, wearing a blue ribbon around his thick neck, was Ghost.

“Six years ago,” Nina spoke into the microphones, her voice clear and strong, “a little dog was stolen from my life. For six years, he lived in dark places, trained to be afraid, trained to hurt people. But love is not something you can train out of a living soul. Love remembers.”

She looked down at Ghost, who looked up at her with complete, absolute devotion.