Chapter 9 - The Clearing of the Ledger
The morning sun broke through the storm clouds, casting a brilliant, golden light over the damp gardens of the Moretti estate.
The bodies had been removed. The blood had been washed from the marble, and the shattered glass was being cleared away by a team of silent, efficient men who owed their lives to Alessandro.
Alessandro stood on the terrace, watching the city below.
The Moretti organization was no more. He had officially dissolved the partnership with the other families, transferring his remaining legitimate assets into a private security firm and logistics company. He had given his captains their freedom, along with enough money to retire or start their own crews far away from New York.
He was no longer the Wolf of the East River.
He was just a man.
A soft pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and he felt the warm, comforting weight of Sophia’s cheek against his back.
"The doctor says my lungs are completely clear," she said, her voice filled with a quiet, peaceful joy. "He says I can go back to work."
Alessandro turned around, taking her hands in his. "You are never working again, Sophia. At least, not as a maid."
"Oh?" she teased, a beautiful smile breaking across her face. "And what am I going to do instead?"
"You're going to help me run this estate," Alessandro said, pulling her close. "And you're going to help me teach our daughter that it’s okay to cry."
From the garden below, a small, happy voice echoed through the morning air.
"Alessandro! Look!"
Emma was running through the rose garden, her bare feet kicking up the damp grass. She was holding a bright yellow flower, her face covered in dirt and her dark curls bouncing in the sun.
May you like
"I found a yellow one!" she screamed, running up the stone steps of the terrace and throwing herself into Alessandro’s arms.
He lifted her high into the air, his laughter ringing out across the quiet estate—a sound that had not been heard in that house for twenty-seven years.
