Chapter 6 - THE HOSPITAL ROOM
I woke up to the smell of antiseptic and the soft, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor.
My hands were wrapped in thick, white bandages.
My throat felt like sandpaper.
I slowly opened my eyes.
I was in a massive, luxurious hospital suite.
The walls were painted a calming blue, and a massive bouquet of white roses sat on the bedside table.
Sitting in a leather chair beside my bed, looking utterly exhausted, was Luca Moretti.
He was still wearing his tailored suit trousers and a white dress shirt, though the collar was unbuttoned and stained with soot.
When he saw me blink, he immediately leaned forward.
"Rachel," he said softly. "Don't try to speak. You inhaled a lot of smoke."
I swallowed, the pain flaring in my throat.
"Emma?" I rasped.
"She's safe," Luca assured me quickly. "She's at the estate with Mrs. Carter. The mother cat is fine, and Daniel brought the three kittens back from the warehouse this morning. They are all reunited."
Tears of relief pricked my eyes.
"And Vanessa?" I whispered.
Luca's face hardened, the mafia boss returning for just a second.
"Vanessa and her brother are in federal custody," Luca said coldly. "The police intercepted her trying to flee the state. I handed over the psychiatric reports and the evidence that she paid a mechanic to cut Isabella's brake lines four years ago."
I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the betrayal he had lived with.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Moretti," I whispered.
Luca gently rested his hand over my bandaged arm.
"You don't need to call me Mr. Moretti anymore, Rachel," he said quietly.
He looked down at the floor, struggling for the right words.
"You almost died for my daughter last night," Luca said, his voice breaking. "You walked into a burning building because you knew it would break Emma's heart toCHAPTER 2 — THE TRUTH BEHIND THE GREENHOUSE DOOR
"Daddy... if Vanessa doesn't want Mommy cat's family here, does that mean she doesn't want me here when you get married either?"
The question hung in the air like shattered glass.
Thirty-two guests stopped breathing.
Luca Moretti didn't look at the wealthy politicians or the mafia associates at his table.
He didn't look at Vanessa.
He stared at his ten-year-old daughter.
"Emma," Luca whispered, his voice cracking with a raw, unfamiliar pain. "Why would you ever ask that?"
Emma hugged the tiny gray kitten against her chest.
She looked down at her dirty shoes.
"Because she told me I take up too much space."
Vanessa dropped her silk napkin.
"I never said that!" she gasped, her face flushing crimson. "Luca, she is twisting my words. I said the cats take up too much space. The child is confused."
Luca slowly stood up.
He was a man who commanded a violent empire, but at this moment, he looked like a terrified father.
"Rachel," he said quietly, not taking his eyes off Vanessa.
"Yes, sir?" I answered, my heart pounding.
"Take Emma to my study. Lock the door. Do not let anyone inside except me."
"Luca, you are overreacting," Vanessa pleaded, stepping toward him. "This is our engagement dinner. You cannot leave the table over a stray animal and a misunderstanding."
He didn't yell.
He just looked at her with eyes so cold the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"I am not leaving over a cat, Vanessa. I am leaving because my daughter thinks she is being replaced."
I gently took Emma's hand.
"Come on, sweetheart," I whispered. "Let's go keep Pip warm."
We walked out of the silent dining room, leaving the guests in stunned disbelief.
When we reached Luca's private study, I locked the heavy mahogany doors behind us.
I sat Emma on the leather sofa and wrapped a soft cashmere blanket around her and the kitten.
"He's stopped shivering, Miss Rachel," Emma whispered, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"You saved him, honey," I smiled, stroking the kitten's head.
Emma leaned against my arm.
"Vanessa doesn't like me," she said quietly.
"She's just stressed about the wedding," I lied, trying to protect her.
Emma shook her head.
"No. She wants me to go away. Like she made Uncle Marco go away."
My blood ran cold.
Uncle Marco.
Luca's older brother. He had run the family business until he mysteriously relocated to Europe six months ago, right after Vanessa moved in.
Before I could ask what she meant, a heavy knock echoed against the door.
"Rachel. It's me."
I unlocked it.
Luca walked in. He had taken off his suit jacket and unbuttoned his collar.
He looked exhausted.
He knelt in front of the sofa, placing his large hands over Emma's small ones.
"Emma," he said softly. "I will never, ever let anyone make you leave this house. You are my heart. Do you understand?"
She nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"But what about Mommy cat?"
Luca sighed. "Daniel is at the greenhouse right now. He is going to bring her inside."
As if on cue, the radio on Luca's desk crackled.
"Mr. Moretti?" It was Daniel's voice.
Luca picked it up. "Do you have the cat?"
"Sir... the greenhouse is completely empty."
Luca frowned. "You just told me she was in there."
"She was, sir. The door was locked. But when I went back with the keys... the back window was smashed. Someone took her."
Luca's grip on the radio tightened.
"Search the grounds. Now."
He put the radio down.
Emma began sobbing. "They took her! They took Pip's mommy!"
"I'll find her, baby," Luca promised, his voice turning lethal. "I swear to you."
He stood up and looked at me.
"Rachel. Go to Vanessa's suite. Pack her bags. She is leaving tonight."
My eyes widened. "Sir?"
"You heard me. The engagement is over."
I nodded quickly and hurried out of the study.
My heart was racing as I climbed the grand staircase.
I didn't want to cross Vanessa. I knew how dangerous she was.
I pushed open the door to her lavish bedroom.
I walked toward the closet to get her suitcases.
But as I pulled a heavy leather bag from the top shelf, something fell out and clattered onto the hardwood floor.
It was a small, ornate silver hand mirror.
But it wasn't Vanessa's.
It had the initials E.M. engraved on the back.
Elena Moretti.
Emma's late mother.
Luca had told everyone he buried this mirror with his wife five years ago.
I bent down to pick it up.
But a cold voice stopped me.
"If you touch that, Rachel, I will make sure your crippled mother never sees the inside of a hospital again."
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Vanessa was standing in the doorway.
And she was holding a lighter.
