Chapter 6 - The Mafia Boss Chose Her
The pounding on the apartment door began thirty seconds later.
“Federal agents! Open the door!”
Mila’s hands turned cold.
Luca did not move.
“Luca.”
He looked toward Adrian.
“Back exit?”
“Covered.”
“Roof?”
“Probably.”
Michael stood.
“We have to run.”
“No,” Mila said.
Everyone looked at her.
She repeated:
“No.”
Her heartbeat thundered, but for the first time since the nightmare began, her mind felt clear.
“If we run, I look guilty.”
“You are being framed,” Michael said.
“Exactly.”
Mila turned toward Luca.
“Open the door.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Mila.”
“I didn’t steal the money.”
“I know.”
“Then let them investigate.”
“You think Victor didn’t prepare for that?”
“He prepared for us to panic.”
Luca stared.
She continued.
“He expects you to hide me. He expects you to use your power. He expects everyone to believe you protected your assistant because she stole from you.”
Adrian slowly nodded.
“She’s right.”
Luca gave him a look.
“Unhelpful.”
Mila stepped closer.
“If you run with me, he controls the story.”
“And if I let them arrest you?”
Her voice softened.
“You don’t let them. You give them everything.”
Luca became still.
Everything.
The financial records.
The family files.
The businesses.
The secrets.
Mila understood what she was asking.
Luca had spent years building walls.
To prove her innocence, he might have to tear them down.
Victor’s choice.
His empire.
Or Mila.
The pounding continued.
Luca looked at her.
“You’re certain?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She almost laughed.
“Good?”
“Only idiots are certain in situations like this.”
Then Luca walked to the door.
He opened it.
Agents entered.
Weapons ready.
Badges displayed.
The lead agent looked at Mila.
“Mila Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“You’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering.”
Luca stepped forward.
“She was framed.”
“Mr. Romano, step aside.”
“No.”
“Luca,” Mila said.
He looked at her.
“Let them.”
His jaw tightened.
An agent placed handcuffs around Mila’s wrists.
Something inside Luca changed.
His face remained calm.
But everyone in the room felt it.
Mila looked at him.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I never do.”
Adrian coughed.
Michael gave a disbelieving laugh.
Mila almost smiled.
Then she was taken away.
For the first time since she had texted Come get me, Luca could not follow.
The holding room was cold.
Hours passed.
Mila answered questions.
No, she had never opened the account.
No, she had never authorized transfers.
No, she had not knowingly possessed the encrypted records.
No, she did not know Victor Romano before three days ago.
The agents didn’t believe all of it.
Why would they?
The evidence looked perfect.
Her login credentials.
Her phone.
Her name on the account.
Her position inside Romano Holdings.
She had access.
Opportunity.
Knowledge.
Victor had designed a beautiful lie.
Then, five hours later, everything changed.
The door opened.
An attorney entered.
“Ms. Bennett.”
“Who are you?”
“Luca Romano’s counsel.”
“Of course.”
The attorney sat.
“You’re being released.”
Mila stared.
“What?”
“The government received extensive evidence proving the account was created using stolen identification data.”
“How?”
“Mr. Romano.”
She laughed weakly.
“What did he do?”
The attorney hesitated.
“What did he do?”
“He gave investigators unrestricted access to Romano Holdings’ internal financial systems.”
Mila stopped breathing.
“He did what?”
“Everything.”
All the walls.
All the files.
All the private transactions.
Luca had opened the empire.
For her.
Outside the federal building, dawn was breaking.
Mila expected a driver.
Instead, Luca stood beside the car.
Alone.
His tie was missing.
His eyes were tired.
Mila walked toward him.
“You idiot.”
He looked at her.
“Good morning.”
“You gave them everything.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“No. I want to hear you say it.”
Luca glanced toward the courthouse steps.
“This is hardly the setting.”
“Luca.”
He sighed.
“I chose you.”
Simple.
Quiet.
Devastating.
Mila’s eyes burned.
“Victor wanted you to destroy yourself.”
“He miscalculated.”
“How?”
“I didn’t build Romano Holdings to become its prisoner.”
He stepped closer.
“And I certainly wasn’t going to let you sit in a cell so I could protect a balance sheet.”
Mila looked at him.
“You could lose the company.”
“Yes.”
“You could lose everything.”
“No.”
His gaze held hers.
“Not everything.”
Her breath caught.
This time, she kissed him.
There was nothing dramatic about it.
No rain.
No music.
No crowd gasping.
Just Mila closing the distance and Luca freezing for half a second before his hand gently touched her face.
Even then, he waited.
Until she kissed him again.
Then his restraint finally broke.
Not violently.
Not possessively.
Just the release of something both had spent far too long denying.
When they separated, Mila whispered:
“You’re still my boss.”
“Technically.”
“That’s a problem.”
“I’ll fire you.”
She stared.
He almost smiled.
“You’re terrible at romance.”
“I’ve had limited practice.”
The moment vanished when Adrian’s car arrived.
He stepped out.
“We found Victor.”
Luca immediately changed.
“Where?”
“He’s leaving the city.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“Route?”
“Private airfield.”
Mila looked at Luca.
“We end it.”
He shook his head.
“You’ve done enough.”
“No.”
“Mila.”
“He destroyed my family too.”
Luca stared at her.
Then nodded.
That evening, federal agents coordinated quietly with Luca’s team.
Victor believed he was escaping.
Instead, every road to the airfield was monitored.
Michael insisted on coming.
Luca refused.
Michael came anyway.
Apparently stubbornness was contagious.
At the hangar, Victor stood beside a private jet.
Samuel was with him.
Both carried bags.
Victor smiled when Luca appeared.
“Nephew.”
“You’re not leaving.”
“I think I am.”
Federal vehicles emerged.
Victor looked around.
His smile faded.
“You gave them access.”
“Yes.”
“To everything?”
“Yes.”
Victor stared.
“For her?”
Luca glanced toward Mila.
“Yes.”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“You are your father.”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t praise.”
“I know.”
Samuel reached inside his coat.
Agents shouted.
“Hands!”
Everything happened at once.
Samuel drew a gun.
Michael pushed Mila aside.
A shot exploded.
Luca tackled Samuel.
Agents rushed forward.
Victor ran toward the jet.
Adrian cut him off.
Seconds later, both men were on the ground.
Handcuffed.
Mila scrambled toward Michael.
He was sitting against a crate.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
“Dad!”
“I’m okay.”
“You’ve been shot.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“You always say stupid things when injured?”
“Apparently.”
Mila laughed through tears.
Michael touched her cheek.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Nine years.”
Her expression changed.
“I thought staying away kept you alive.”
“It also left me alone.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know if I can forgive you yet.”
He nodded.
“You shouldn’t have to yet.”
“But I want to try.”
Michael’s eyes filled.
“That’s more than I deserve.”
Mila hugged him carefully.
Across the hangar, Luca watched.
Then an agent approached him.
“Mr. Romano.”
“Yes?”
“We need to talk.”
The agent held a file.
Luca frowned.
“About what?”
“Victor wasn’t the highest person in the operation.”
Mila overheard.
“What?”
The agent opened the folder.
“Someone financed Victor for years. Someone bigger.”
Luca looked at the page.
His face changed.
Mila walked closer.
“Who?”
Luca lifted his eyes toward her.
“The person who approved the original account network eighteen years ago.”
Michael went pale.
“That’s impossible.”
Mila looked between them.
“Who?”
Michael whispered a name.
Mila’s entire body went cold.
Because the name belonged to a person they all believed had been dead for seven years.
Luca’s father.
Antonio Romano.
And according to the newest records—
May you like
Antonio Romano had made a transaction three days ago.
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