Chapter 6 - A New Dawn
The storm had finally broken by sunrise, leaving the Chicago skyline washed in brilliant, crisp shades of gold and blue.
Inside the private study of the Moretti estate, the damage from the previous night had already been cleared away. The air smelled of fresh coffee and lemon polish instead of cordite and smoke.
I sat in the leather armchair across from Roman’s desk, wearing a fresh blouse and my hair tied back neatly. On the glass table in front of me lay a certified federal dossier, completely clearing my brother Leo of all charges, along with a secure travel document ensuring his immediate transfer back to Chicago under full syndicate protection.
Roman sat behind his desk, pouring two cups of black coffee and pushing one toward me.
"He'll be here by noon," Roman said quietly, his amber eyes watching me over the rim of his cup. "My private security detail brought him down from Vermont an hour ago. He's safe, Norah. The slate is wiped clean."
I stared at the dossier, a lump forming in my throat. The nightmare that had haunted my family for six months was finally over.
"Thank you, Roman," I whispered, using his first name for the very first time.
He offered a rare, genuine smile that softened the hard lines of his face. "You saved my life in that library, Norah. We're even."
"Does this mean I'm still fired?" I asked, a faint, teasing smile touching my lips. "Because technically, I haven't finished dusting the upper shelves."
Roman leaned back in his leather chair, resting his arms on the desk, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.
"You're done cleaning floors," Roman said firmly. "Effective immediately, your new title is Chief of Internal Compliance and Risk Assessment. Which means you sit in the executive suite, not the service hallway."
I looked down at the coffee cup, then back up at the most feared man in the city—the man who had started as a terrifying shadow in the hallway and ended up being the only shield my family had left.
May you like
"I think I can manage that," I said.
As the morning light flooded through the towering windows, illuminating the sprawling estate, I realized that the safest place in a powerful man's mansion wasn't hiding in the shadows anymore. It was standing right beside him.
