Chapter 6 - The Empire Victor Moretti Walked Away From
The following weeks changed New York.
Carlo Vescari was indicted on charges connected to multiple murders, extortion schemes and decades of organized crime.
Victor cooperated.
So did Marco.
Several corrupt officials resigned before they could be arrested.
Moretti businesses tied to illegal operations were surrendered.
Others—restaurants, construction companies and legitimate real estate holdings—were reorganized.
Hannah watched everything from a temporary apartment Victor had arranged.
She hated accepting it.
Victor knew.
So he called it employment housing.
“You’re ridiculous,” Hannah told him one afternoon.
Victor sat across from Lily on the floor.
“I’m practical.”
“You bought an entire apartment building.”
“It was available.”
“To give me one apartment?”
“The remaining units are being renovated.”
“For what?”
“Affordable housing.”
Hannah stared at him.
“Who are you?”
Victor looked genuinely offended.
“Victor Moretti.”
“Questionable answer.”
Lily crawled toward him.
Victor immediately forgot the conversation.
“There she is.”
Hannah smiled.
Lily pulled herself upright using his jacket.
Victor froze.
“Hannah.”
“What?”
“She’s standing.”
“She does that.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t realize I had to submit developmental reports.”
Lily released the jacket.
For one second, she stood alone.
Then fell directly into Victor’s arms.
Victor laughed.
Hannah had never heard that sound from him before.
Neither had Marco, who had just entered.
He stopped in the doorway.
Victor looked up.
“Say nothing.”
Marco nodded solemnly.
“I saw nothing.”
“What do you need?”
Marco handed him an envelope.
“The final agreement.”
Victor read it.
Hannah watched his expression.
“What?”
“It’s finished.”
“What is?”
“My cooperation agreement.”
“And?”
Victor sat down.
“The legitimate businesses remain. Everything else is gone.”
“Are you okay with that?”
Victor looked around the modest apartment.
Then at Lily.
“Yes.”
Hannah sat beside him.
“You spent your whole life building that empire.”
“My father built most of it.”
“And you maintained it.”
“That was the problem.”
He handed her another document.
Hannah read it.
THE ELENA ROSSI FOUNDATION.
She looked at him.
“What is this?”
“A nonprofit.”
“For?”
“Single parents facing housing instability. Childcare. Emergency medical assistance.”
Hannah stared at him.
“You named it after my mother?”
“She saved my life.”
His voice became quieter.
“And apparently she’s still saving it.”
Hannah looked away before he could see how much that affected her.
Victor noticed anyway.
“Hannah.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Become sentimental.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You absolutely were.”
Victor smiled.
“Fine.”
A silence passed.
Then Hannah asked the question she had avoided for weeks.
“What happens to us now?”
Victor looked at her.
“What do you want to happen?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then we don’t decide today.”
Hannah smiled.
“For once, Victor Moretti doesn’t have an order?”
“I’m learning.”
“That sounds painful.”
“Extremely.”
Lily babbled between them.
Victor looked down.
“What did she say?”
“Probably something about your ego.”
“She likes me.”
“She eats paper.”
“That doesn’t disprove my point.”
Hannah laughed.
And for the first time in years, she realized she wasn’t thinking about tomorrow’s rent.
She wasn’t calculating groceries.
She wasn’t wondering how long the heat would stay on.
May you like
She was simply laughing.
And Lily was safe.
