Chapter 8 - THE FACE IN THE POCKET WATCH
The cold morning air vanished from my lungs.
I stared at the faded photograph inside the gold pocket watch.
It was my father. Arthur Brooks.
He was wearing a dark suit, smiling, standing in front of a classic car.
He died in a car accident when I was three years old. Or at least, that was the story my mother had told me my entire life.
“Why does Marcus Bellini have a picture of my dad?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Luca didn't answer immediately. He stared at the photograph, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle jumped in his cheek.
He looked at Daniel.
“Run the plates on that car in the background. Now.”
“Yes, sir.” Daniel took the watch and walked away, pulling out his encrypted phone.
Luca turned to me. His eyes were softer, filled with a sudden, profound sorrow.
“Hannah. What did your mother tell you about your father?”
“She said he was a mechanic,” I stammered, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the chill. “She said he died on his way home from work in a hit-and-run.”
Luca closed his eyes for a brief second.
“He wasn't a mechanic, Hannah.”
“What?”
“The man in that photograph... I recognize him,” Luca said softly. “Arthur Brooks was a highly skilled driver. But he didn't work in a garage. He worked for my father.”
My world tilted.
“My dad... worked for the mafia?”
“He was my father’s most trusted captain,” Luca explained, his voice gentle but firm. “Twenty-two years ago, my father’s car was ambushed on the bridge. The police called it a tragic accident. But my family knew it was a hit. The driver died protecting my father. He swerved into the barricade to shield the passenger side.”
I felt the tears pooling in my eyes.
“Your father died a hero, Hannah,” Luca said, placing a heavy, warm hand on my shoulder. “He saved my family’s legacy. And we never knew he left a wife and a child behind. Your mother must have changed her name and hid you to protect you from the life.”
It all made sense.
My mother’s paranoia. Our constant moving when I was young. Why she had been so terrified when Marcus Bellini confronted her in the hospital eight years ago. She wasn't just a random nurse. She was the widow of a Moretti captain. Bellini knew exactly who she was.
“But why did Marcus have his picture in a watch?” I asked, wiping my tears.
Daniel returned, his face grim.
“Sir. The plates match. The car in the photo is the same vehicle from the ambush twenty-two years ago.”
Luca’s expression hardened into pure granite.
“Marcus Bellini didn't just orchestrate the kidnapping of my son. He orchestrated the hit on my father. He kept Arthur’s watch as a trophy.”
The revelation was staggering.
Marcus Bellini had been pulling the strings of both our families’ tragedies for over two decades.
“He’s going to spend the rest of his life in a federal supermax,” Luca said coldly. “It’s less than he deserves.”
Luca turned to his kids.
Sophie and Leo were sitting in the back of the SUV, wrapped in warm blankets, drinking hot cocoa from a thermos Daniel had found.
They were whispering to each other, a bond reforming after eight years of stolen time.
“Let’s go home,” Luca said, his voice finally breaking with exhaustion and relief.
We drove back to the mansion.
The estate was secure. The police had cleared the premises of any Bellini loyalists.
I helped bathe the kids and put them to bed in Sophie’s massive room. Luca had a second bed moved in so they wouldn't have to be apart.
Leo fell asleep instantly, his small hand still clutching the stuffed rabbit. Sophie fell asleep holding his other hand.
I stood in the doorway, watching them breathe.
For the first time in a month, my heart felt light.
Luca walked up behind me. He had showered and changed into comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt. The intimidating mafia boss was gone. He was just a tired father.
“Thank you,” Luca whispered, looking at his children. “You didn't have to stay, Hannah. You could have run when things got dangerous. You risked your life for my family.”
“They’re good kids,” I smiled softly. “And... I guess our families have been looking out for each other for a long time.”
Luca turned to face me in the dim hallway light.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, heavy envelope.
“I want you to have this,” Luca said, handing it to me.
I frowned, taking the envelope. It was sealed with the Moretti crest.
“What is it?”
“It’s a deed,” Luca said quietly. “To a house in the suburbs. Paid in full. And a trust fund in your mother’s name. Enough to cover her medical bills and retirement.”
I gasped, trying to hand it back. “Mr. Moretti, I can't accept this! This is too much!”
Luca gently pushed my hands back.
“It’s not a gift, Hannah. It’s a debt paid. Your father died for my family. Your mother suffered to protect my son. You fought to bring him home. You are not a maid in this house anymore.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks. I clutched the envelope to my chest.
“Thank you,” I sobbed.
Luca smiled, a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes.
He reached out and gently wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
The touch was electric. It sent a sudden, surprising shiver down my spine.
He lingered for a second, looking into my eyes with an intensity that made my breath catch.
But before either of us could say anything, a sharp knock echoed from the front doors downstairs.
It was 4:00 AM. Nobody should have been at the door.
Luca’s hand dropped. His protective instincts flared instantly.
He drew his gun and walked to the top of the grand staircase.
Daniel was already in the foyer, cautiously opening the heavy oak doors.
Standing on the porch was a man in an expensive, tailored suit. He held a leather briefcase.
It was Mr. Vance, the Bellini family lawyer.
“What do you want, Vance?” Daniel growled, blocking the entrance.
The lawyer looked terrified. He held up a thick, manila folder.
“I’m not here to fight,” Vance stammered, looking up at Luca. “Marcus Bellini is in federal custody. But before he was arrested, he initiated a failsafe protocol.”
Luca walked down the stairs, his gun aimed at the floor.
“What failsafe?”
May you like
Vance swallowed hard.
“He transferred the legal guardianship of Leo Bellini... to the State of Illinois. Child Protective Services is on their way right now to take your son.”
