Chapter 10 - The New Empire
Six months later, the sun shone brightly over the Romano estate.
The heavy, dark curtains had been replaced with sheer white fabrics that let the light flood the grand foyer. The air smelled of fresh lilies and... slightly burnt pancakes.
Victor stood in the kitchen, wearing an apron over his suit trousers, flipping a pancake with much better precision than he had months ago.
“Better,” Lucia approved, sitting on the counter. She was no longer wearing ragged clothes. She wore a bright yellow sundress, her cheeks full and flushed with health, her laughter echoing freely through the house.
“I aim to please,” Victor smiled, plating the food.
The kitchen door opened. Sofia walked in.
She took Victor’s breath away. The hollows of her cheeks were gone. Her skin was radiant, her eyes sparkling. She wore a simple, elegant silk dress, moving with a grace that belonged in a palace. The doctors had cured the infection, and Victor had cured her fear.
She walked over to Victor, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.
“Good morning,” she murmured, leaning her head against his chest.
“Morning, amore mio,” Victor replied, wrapping one arm around her.
Dante walked into the kitchen, holding a clipboard. He stopped, looking at the domestic scene, and cracked a rare, genuine smile.
“Boss, the shipment from Naples arrived. And the capos are waiting in the boardroom for the weekly briefing.”
“Tell them I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Victor said. “I’m having breakfast with my family.”
Dante nodded respectfully and walked out.
Lucia jumped off the counter, running over to hug Victor’s leg. Victor looked down at the little girl who had stolen a stale piece of beef in the dark, and the woman who had stolen his heart in the light.
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He had broken the one rule that kept him alive in the mafia. He had let someone in.
But as he held Sofia and Lucia close, Victor knew the truth. Breaking that rule hadn't killed him. It had finally brought him to life.
