Chapter 6 - Lucas’s Final Message
Two days later, the Romano estate felt different.
Quieter.
Safer.
Elliot Grayson had survived.
So had every secret on the memory card.
Federal investigators quietly began building cases against the corrupt officials connected to him.
Damian did not care about Elliot anymore.
He cared about one thing.
Lucas’s damaged video.
Marco entered the library carrying a laptop.
“We recovered the rest.”
Claire immediately stood.
Sophie sat beside Damian drawing a picture.
“What did you recover?” she asked.
“A video.”
“Cartoon?”
Damian smiled faintly.
“No.”
“Boring.”
Claire kissed her head.
“Go show Rosa your drawing.”
Sophie ran toward the kitchen.
Marco started the video.
Lucas appeared.
Damian stared at his brother’s face.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Lucas began.
“Damian, if you’re watching this, Claire probably found you.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Lucas smiled slightly.
“She’s stubborn.”
Claire laughed through tears.
“She’ll hate me for saying that.”
Damian glanced toward her.
Lucas continued.
“And if Sophie is with her…”
His face changed.
“Protect them.”
Damian lowered his eyes.
“I know you’ll want to blame yourself.”
Lucas paused.
“Don’t.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“You didn’t betray me.”
Elliot’s lie was finally destroyed.
Lucas continued.
“Grayson forged your messages. Vescari helped him at first, but he changed sides after realizing Sophie existed.”
Claire whispered, “That’s why he brought the watch.”
Marco nodded.
“He was trying to expose Grayson.”
Lucas leaned closer to the camera.
“There’s something else.”
Damian stared.
“I know our family never made love easy.”
Lucas smiled sadly.
“Dad taught us loyalty through fear.”
Damian looked away.
“I don’t want that for Sophie.”
Claire began crying again.
“Let her be a child.”
Lucas continued.
“Let her laugh too loudly.”
Damian smiled faintly.
“She does.”
“Let her break things.”
Damian muttered, “She does.”
Claire laughed.
“And Damian…”
Lucas’s expression softened.
“Let people love you.”
Damian went completely still.
“That might be the hardest thing I ever ask.”
The video ended.
Silence filled the library.
Marco quietly left.
Claire sat beside Damian.
“He knew you.”
Damian stared at the dark screen.
“Apparently.”
“You don’t have to believe everything he said.”
Damian looked at her.
“Which part?”
“The part about letting people love you.”
A hint of humor entered his eyes.
“That’s exactly the part I assumed you meant.”
Claire smiled.
Then her expression became serious.
“Sophie and I should leave.”
Damian’s smile disappeared.
“Why?”
“The danger is over.”
“So?”
“I have family in Connecticut.”
“You haven’t spoken to them in years.”
“How do you know that?”
“I investigate people living inside my estate.”
“That’s slightly terrifying.”
“It’s practical.”
Claire looked down.
“I don’t want Sophie growing up around violence.”
“She won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
Damian said nothing.
Claire continued.
“This world killed Lucas.”
“I know.”
“I can’t lose Sophie to it.”
Damian stood and walked toward the window.
For once, there was no command he could give.
No threat.
No amount of money that could solve the problem.
“You’re right.”
Claire blinked.
“What?”
“You should take her somewhere safe.”
She had expected an argument.
Not surrender.
Damian continued.
“I’ll arrange security.”
“We don’t need—”
“You do.”
She almost protested.
Then stopped.
“Okay.”
Damian nodded.
Claire watched him.
“You could visit.”
He turned.
“You’d allow that?”
“You’re her uncle.”
“What about you?”
Claire hesitated.
“What about me?”
“Would you want me to visit you?”
Their eyes held.
Claire’s voice lowered.
“Yes.”
Damian stepped closer.
Before either could say anything else, Sophie burst into the room.
“I made family!”
She held up the drawing.
Three people stood beneath a giant yellow sun.
Claire.
Sophie.
Damian.
Damian stared at it.
Sophie pointed.
“That’s Mama.”
“I guessed.”
“That’s me.”
“Obviously.”
“And that’s you.”
“Why am I so tall?”
“Because you scary.”
Claire laughed.
Damian frowned.
“I’m not scary.”
Both Claire and Sophie stared at him.
Damian sighed.
“Fine.”
Sophie climbed onto the sofa.
“Where we going?”
Claire froze.
“How did you know?”
“I heard Rosa.”
Claire glanced toward the kitchen.
Sophie frowned.
“I don’t wanna leave.”
“Sophie…”
“I like here.”
“You’ll like Connecticut.”
“Is Uncle Damian there?”
“No.”
“Then no.”
Claire sat beside her.
“Sweetheart.”
Sophie crossed her arms.
Damian recognized that posture.
Definitely a Romano.
She looked at him.
“You want me to go?”
Damian knelt.
“I want you safe.”
“That not what I asked.”
Claire’s eyebrows rose.
Damian almost smiled.
Sophie repeated, “You want me to go?”
Damian looked at Claire.
Then answered.
“No.”
Sophie nodded.
“Then we stay.”
Claire sighed.
“It’s not that simple.”
Sophie pointed toward the drawing.
“Yes it is.”
Damian looked at the picture again.
Three people.
A family drawn by a four-year-old before the adults were brave enough to admit it.
Perhaps Lucas had been right.
The hardest thing Damian Romano would ever do was not defeating an enemy.
It was allowing himself to want something after years of believing he deserved nothing.
He looked at Claire.
“Stay.”
Her breath caught.
“Damian.”
“Not because of the job.”
He stepped closer.
“Stay because Sophie belongs here.”
Claire looked at him.
“And me?”
Damian’s voice became quiet.
“You already know the answer.”
Sophie looked between them.
“Are you gonna kiss?”
Claire nearly choked.
Damian stared at Sophie.
“Go find Rosa.”
“No.”
“Sophie.”
“I wanna see.”
May you like
Claire laughed for the first time without fear.
And somehow, inside a house built on secrets and violence, laughter began filling the room.
