Chapter 9 - The Ledger of Protection
Luca stared down at the ledger, his brow furrowing in confusion. He flipped open the cover. Inside weren't drug routes or extortion records; they were meticulously compiled dossiers, financial trails, and protection contracts linked to every single high-ranking rival boss in the tri-state area. "What is this?" Luca muttered, his eyes scanning the pages. "It's your insurance policy," Nina said quietly, leaning against the edge of the desk and crossing her arms over her chest. "For the past nine months, I haven't just been hiding. I’ve been systematically neutralizing every threat that ever dared to look at the Trevisi name. The men who plotted against us at your mother's estate? Gone. The rogue capos who leaked your shipping logs to the Contis? Exposed and locked in federal penitentiaries. I didn't run away from your world, Luca. I conquered the dark corners of it so that our son could walk out into the sunlight without ever looking over his shoulder."
Luca looked up from the ledger, his gaze locking onto Nina with an overwhelming mix of awe, guilt, and fierce, burning adoration. The woman standing before him wasn't the quiet, compliant girl he had married on Fifth Avenue years ago. She was a tactical genius, a shadow general who had outmaneuvered the most ruthless criminal minds in the country just to keep their family safe. "You did all of this... alone?" Luca asked, his voice cracking slightly. "I wasn't alone," Nina replied softly, a faint, cryptic smile touching the corners of her lips. "I had a very good teacher. I learned how an empire works by watching the best bastard in the business." Before Luca could answer, a soft knock echoed against the office door, and it swung open an inch. A tiny voice piped up from the hallway. "Mommy? Can I come in now? The bad man with the shiny shoes stopped yelling."
