Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Elena
Dante's words only made me more certain—I had to leave this place if I wanted to protect myself and the baby growing inside me.
He still believed in Valentina. And Valentina was a master of deception and disguise, with tricks up her sleeve at every turn.
That fall down the stairs might have just been a warning—her way of telling me she already had people inside the manor.
Thinking I could stay here and have this baby safely was nothing but a pipe dream.
If something really happened to me, Dante probably wouldn't believe a word I said. And I couldn't gamble with my child's life. I'd already had one accident. My wrist still ached from when I'd slammed into the wall during that fall, the pain radiating from my fingers all the way up my forearm.
Over the next few days, I prepared everything. I didn't have much—packing wasn't the hard part. But sneaking my luggage out of the manor without anyone noticing? For that, I needed help. Luca was the only person I could turn to.
I didn't tell him what had happened between Dante and me. I just asked if he could help me—I wanted to leave Moretti Manor.
Luca didn't pry. He always had a good sense of boundaries. Over the next few days, his people met me outside the manor. We avoided the cameras, bit by bit smuggling my belongings out.
Once everything was ready, I went into Salvador's room one last time.
He radiated the smell of approaching death.
Whatever he'd done to me before—however he'd threatened me, manipulated me—none of it mattered now.
He was just a man who would never wake up.
Standing there facing him, I felt strangely relaxed.
"Mr. Morreti," I said softly. "I'm pregnant. A little over a month along."
The man in the bed didn't react. I smiled faintly.
"Everything our contract required—marrying Dante, having his child—it's all done.
As for whether this child can become the heir?
I think that's unlikely. Because Dante's heart belongs to another woman.
I can't force him to make my child his successor. I've done everything I could."
"To protect my baby, I have to leave." I picked up the towel by the bed, dampened it, and wiped Salvador's hand. "This is the last time I'll take care of you. Goodbye, Mr. Morreti."
His aged, wrinkled hand twitched slightly in my palm. I saw it. My heart jumped. But when I looked up, his eyes were still tightly shut, as if what I'd felt was just my imagination.
I walked down the corridor toward the exit, wearing the same worn backpack I'd arrived at Moretti Manor with. Lucia was in the greenhouse. When I found her and she saw me dressed like this, understanding crossed her face. "You're leaving... Elena?"
I nodded. "The manor isn't safe. I can't guarantee I'll survive long enough to have this baby if I stay.
So I have to go." I reached out and hugged Lucia.
"Forgive me for not telling you where I'm going.
And if Dante asks, please don't tell him I'm pregnant.
I don't want things to get more complicated. "
I slipped the ring off my finger and pressed it into Lucia's palm. "Give this back to him for me."
Lucia grabbed my wrist tightly. "Elena, are you really leaving? How can the manor not be safe? Have you told Dante any of this?"
I shook my head.
I'd tried. But I hadn't gotten the chance to say it. Dante's attitude had already told me everything.
"One more thing." I remembered something equally important and pulled a receipt from my hoodie pocket. "I designed a suit for Dante, but I didn't have time to make it. I gave it to this tailor shop. When it's finished, could you pick it up for me and give it to him?"
After taking care of everything, I hugged Lucia one last time. "Take care, Lucia."
Lucia tried to hold me back, but I turned away. Her fingers only brushed the edge of my shirt—she couldn't hold on to me.
I left through the manor's main gate. In a blind spot beyond the cameras sat a dark gray sedan. As I approached, the window rolled down, revealing Luca's gentle, smiling face.
"Get in, Elena."
I hurried over and climbed inside. The car pulled smoothly away from Moretti Manor. I leaned back in my seat, watching through the rearview mirror as the massive estate grew smaller and smaller until the trees at the corner swallowed it completely.
Luca drove in silence for a while before finally speaking, his voice carrying that steady certainty of his.
"I've arranged your flight out of New York. Planned the whole route. Two layovers—meant to bypass the hub airports Dante's people might check. Everything's under fake IDs. He won't find you."
I turned to look at Luca. "Thank you so much, Luca. Right now, you're the only one willing to help me."
"We're friends. Don't thank me." He smiled. "I've got a good friend in Mexico who runs his own design brand. You could check it out—if the style fits, you can use your talent to help him make some money. Then maybe I'll get my investment back sooner."
The Lombardi Family didn't care about money like that. I knew he was just trying to comfort me, but I was grateful anyway. "If you ever need my help in the future, I'll do everything I can."
Luca's fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel. He spoke almost jokingly. "Help me? Well, I don't have a wife right now. If you're willing, you could consider me."
He glanced over at me.
I understood what he meant. But I didn't want to get tangled up in any more powerful families. And Luca was a good man—I didn't want to toy with his feelings when I knew I didn't feel the same way.
I touched my belly. "I'm carrying Dante's child."
Luca froze. He looked at me, startled. "You're pregnant. Why are you leaving Dante?"
The scenery outside kept sliding past. I didn't know where to begin. So I stayed silent.
The car rolled into Queens and stopped outside the building where Maggie now lived.
I went upstairs and knocked. The door opened quickly, and there was Maggie. Her hair was a mess, and she wore a faded nightgown. When she saw me, she froze for a moment, then her expression turned to worry.
"Elena? What are you—"
"Maggie." I grabbed her hand, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "We have to go. Now."
Maggie asked frantically what had happened, but I didn't have time to answer. I rushed around packing her things, stuffing everything I could find into a suitcase. I grabbed Maggie with one hand and the suitcase with the other, and we left.
The car got back on the highway. We passed through Queens, and the view outside shifted from dense city blocks to open roads and fields. Maggie sat anxiously in the back, but I was too exhausted to respond. Eventually, she went quiet.
A few hours later, we boarded the plane leaving New York.
It was a small private jet. The cabin wasn't large, but comfortable enough for Maggie and me.
After Luca confirmed the flight plan with the pilot, he came over and told me we were ready to go.
He couldn't leave New York—the Lombardi Family would come looking for him. The rest of the journey was mine alone.
Luca held out his arms. We hugged, and warm tears fell onto his shoulder. "Thank you, Luca."
He patted my back. "If you need anything, call me, Elena. I'll always be your friend."
The plane taxied down the runway, then suddenly accelerated. I felt the body of the aircraft trembling slightly, the engines roaring louder and louder. Then the ground dropped away beneath us. The world outside tilted backward as the plane climbed irresistibly upward.
New York shrank below, the towering buildings becoming tiny gray dots before disappearing completely beneath the clouds.
I sank into my seat. Maggie's hand reached over and held mine.
I opened my eyes and saw the look on her face—waiting for me to speak. I knew she needed an explanation. And during the drive, I'd prepared myself.
I took a deep breath. "Maggie, I got married."
Maggie's eyes went wide.
"I married Dante. He's the son of the man who owns the manor..."
It was all so tangled I couldn't find the beginning. I could only struggle through everything I could remember. The deal with Salvador. Maggie's new job and apartment. The baby inside me.
As I spoke, Maggie's lips trembled. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Before I knew it, I'd told her everything. And Maggie's face was streaming with tears. She clutched my hand tightly, sobs choking out of her throat. "Elena, my child, you go through all of this alone..."
"It's all my fault. I should have left Richard sooner. If it weren't for that debt, you would never have had to do any of this." Maggie pulled me into her arms. A mother's warmth—so comforting it made me want to cry.
"It's okay, Maggie." I patted the back of her hand gently. "We've left now. From now on, it'll just be you and me and the baby. We'll focus on our own lives. It's all over."
Outside the window, clouds stretched beneath us, white and endless, soft and clean. Sunlight slanted through the window, bathing everything in the cabin in warm gold.
I turned my head and looked out at the infinite sea of clouds.
I didn't know what lay ahead. I knew my leaving would cause new problems. But I had no choice. This was all I could do.
Let them deal with the trouble. What belonged to me was what was coming—freedom.