Chapter 17 #2
It’s a deflection, and we both know it. I don’t push her on it, even though I am absolutely dying to know what truly went through her head in that sterile interrogation room—why, when given the ultimate key to her cage, she chose to lock it from the inside and stand by my side.
By the time the car rolls through the gates of the Gallo estate, the chaotic remnants of the raid are already being cleared away. Our home has been unlocked, the yellow police tape has been ruthlessly torn down and discarded, and the full household staff is already back in position.
Looking at the pristine facade of the mansion, a dark, lethal promise forms in my mind.
I got incredibly lucky today because of the woman sitting next to me.
Luca thought he could bury me on my own wedding day, and I plan to make the bastard pay for this stunt with every single drop of blood in his veins.
The car grinds to a halt in front of the entrance. The driver rushes to open the door, and I step out, turning to offer Sienna my hand. She takes it, stepping onto the cool stone driveway.
I lead her through the double oak doors and into the grand marble foyer. Waiting for us in a neat, respectful line is the entire household staff—the housekeepers, the chefs, the butler, and the indoor security detail.
I take a step forward, keeping my hand firmly anchored to the small of her back, and address the room.
"This is my wife, Sienna Gallo. She is your mistress now, and she is the absolute authority in this house when I am not here. You will accord her the exact same respect, loyalty, and obedience you give to me."
The staff immediately bows their heads in unison, their voices rising in a chorus of disciplined respect.
"Welcome home, Mrs. Gallo."
“Thank you,” Sienna smiles, her voice carrying a polite, poised warmth.
I lead her away from the foyer, guiding her up the grand staircase and down the corridor to my bedroom—the very room she sneaked into just hours ago under the threat of federal arrest. Now, she enters it legally, as the woman whose name is bound to mine.
I close the heavy wooden door behind us, shutting out the rest of the world. "The guards will bring your things upstairs soon. Anything you left at the reception or your father's house will be delivered by tonight."
She nods silently, her body completely tense as she looks around the space.
Moving with deliberate slowness, she walks over to the massive mattress and sits on the edge of the bed, the lace of her white dress spilling over the dark silk sheets.
She looks small against the backdrop of my world, yet completely in control.
I study her for a long moment. Part of me wants to crowd her space, to demand the answers she refused to give in the car, to find out exactly what it feels like to hold my wife without a war brewing outside. But I decide to leave her alone while she adjusts to this sudden shift.
Besides, the fury that has been simmering in my veins since the feds slapped cuffs on me needs an outlet. I want to find Luca, and I want to punish him for what he did. Leaving her to rest while I hunt down a traitor is a win-win.
"I have an urgent meeting downstairs," I tell her, fastening the top button of my suit jacket. "I will be back soon."
She nods again, her eyes tracking my movements but her lips remaining sealed.
I have half a mind to stay with her anyway, to pull her into my arms and force the tension out of her shoulders, but my soul demands blood today. So, I force myself to turn on my heel and leave the room.
I stride down to the lower level and into my private study, immediately calling an urgent emergency meeting with Valerio and my most trusted men. Within ten minutes, the room is thick with tension and the scent of bitter espresso.
We immediately dive into the wreckage of the afternoon.
We discuss the details of the federal arrest, breaking down exactly how the authorities knew where to look.
We analyze the ruined shipment and the specific trail of police evidence.
It becomes glaringly obvious that Luca didn't just leak information; he handled the logistics personally to ensure the feds had enough to put me away for life.
"And where is the bastard now?" I bark, slamming my palm onto the mahogany desk.
Valerio looks up, his expression dark. "He vanished the second the alarms went off at the Caruso property. He didn't return to his apartment, his known safehouses are completely dark, and his phone is disconnected."
I lean forward, my jaw clenched so tightly it aches.
"Luca's disappearance confirms everything.
He knew exactly what he was doing. There is only one option left for us now.
We hunt him down. Find him, bring him to me so I can look him in the eye, and be prepared to kill him the second the meeting turns violent.
I want his head on a spike for what he pulled on my wedding day. "
Valerio nods, already pulling out his phone to coordinate the trackers. "We have men watching the docks, the airports, and every border exit."
But as the hours begin to tick by, the reports come back entirely empty. Luca is nowhere to be found. The bastard has completely vanished into thin air, leaving me with a ghost to hunt down and a dangerous war brewing right inside my own territory.