Chapter 8 - The Rescue in the Dark
The midnight air was biting as Luca carefully placed Bruno onto a plush velvet blanket spread across the back seat of the Lamborghini.
He climbed in beside the old dog, using his own suit jacket to keep the shivering animal warm while Daniel took over the driver's seat.
"Drive steady, Daniel," Luca instructed, keeping one hand resting gently on Bruno’s graying head to calm his erratic breathing.
"I don't want any sudden bumps."
"Understood, boss," Daniel replied, smoothly navigating the vehicle out of the shelter parking lot and merging back onto the empty highway toward Chicago.
As the miles rolled past under the glow of the dashboard lights, Bruno’s breathing began to steady under the soothing weight of Luca’s hand.
The terror and confusion in the dog's eyes slowly gave way to a quiet, trusting exhaustion as he realized he was safe with his master.
Luca stared out the tinted window at the dark silhouettes of the passing industrial parks, his mind racing through the web of betrayal Vanessa had woven around his estate.
For eleven months, she had played the role of the devoted, high-society fiancée—subtle, elegant, and seemingly supportive of his family traditions.
Yet, behind that polished facade lay a ruthless, cold-blooded manipulator who viewed living creatures as mere inconveniences to be discarded when they no longer served her aesthetic or social ambitions.
And if she was willing to murder an innocent, deaf fourteen-year-old retriever just to avoid a little shedding hair before a wedding, what else was she capable of hiding?
What financial records, what social lies, and what hidden malice had he ignored because he trusted her family name?
"Daniel," Luca spoke softly so as not to disturb the resting dog.
"Run a full, comprehensive background audit on Miss Bellini starting from the day she arrived in Chicago."
"I've already initiated a preliminary sweep, boss," Daniel replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Including her previous social circles, financial holdings, and the mysterious disappearance of her last engagement in New York three years ago."
Luca narrowed his eyes.
"Her previous engagement?"
"Yes, boss," Daniel confirmed, glancing briefly into the rearview mirror.
"Her former fiancé—a wealthy shipping heir—suffered a sudden, fatal boating accident just two weeks before their wedding date, leaving her the sole beneficiary of a substantial insurance payout and his primary residential property."
A dark, ominous chill settled over the interior of the SUV.
"Dig deeper into that accident," Luca commanded, his voice laced with iron.
"I want every single financial record, medical report, and police interview from that case on my desk before the sun rises."
"Consider it done, boss," Daniel answered firmly.
Back at the Moretti estate, the grand mansion stood silent and imposing against the starless night sky.
Upstairs in the private guest quarters, I lay awake in a comfortable bed, staring up at the intricate plaster molding of the ceiling.
The medical bandages on my shoulder felt tight against my skin, but my heart was beating with a newfound sense of cautious hope.
Luca had gone after him.
He hadn't believed Vanessa’s lies.
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He had looked past the glittering chandeliers, the elite guests, and the expensive wedding plans to find the truth hidden in the dirt.
For the first time in the eleven months I had worked at this terrifying estate, I felt a flicker of genuine safety—not because I was protected by wealth, but because justice, however ruthless, had finally entered the room.
