Chapter 10 - A Light in the Nursery
Six months later.
The Moretti estate was filled with the sound of laughter and classical music. It was the evening of Allesandro and Victoria’s wedding reception.
The grand ballroom was adorned with thousands of white roses, crystal chandeliers casting warm, sparkling light across hundreds of guests—allied family heads, community leaders, and trusted friends who had come to celebrate the new era of the Moretti family.
Upstairs, the former nursery had been completely renovated into a sunlit playroom for the future. The old, gloomy wallpaper had been replaced with soft cream paint and hand-painted murals of forests and mountains.
The door swung open gently, and a small figure slipped inside, wearing a tiny pale-blue bridesmaid dress with a silver sash.
It was Lily.
She and her mother had flown in from Switzerland as the guests of honor for the wedding. She walked across the plush new carpet, her small patent-leather shoes clicking softly against the floor.
She walked over to the wooden window seat where Daisy—the original doll, fully repaired, re-stuffed, and thoroughly swept for any technology by Leo—sat resting against a soft linen pillow.
Lily picked up the doll, hugging it tightly against her small chest.
She looked at the glass eye. There was no red blinking light. No clicking sound in the dark. No secret cameras. Just the simple, reflected glow of the warm chandeliers from the hallway outside.
Allesandro stood in the doorway, watching her quietly, a glass of champagne in his hand, a warm, protective smile on his face.
Lily turned, seeing him standing there. She gave him a big, bright, radiant smile—the smile of a child who felt completely, unconditionally safe.
"Mr. Moretti!" she chirped happily, holding Daisy up high. "Look! Daisy isn't watching me anymore!"
Allesandro walked into the room, kneeling down on one knee so he was at eye level with the little girl. He gently smoothed a lock of her golden hair, his heart full.
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"No, sweetheart," Allesandro said softly, his voice full of warmth and absolute certainty. "Daisy isn't watching you anymore. But I am. And nobody is ever going to hurt you again."
Lily wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, giving the former mob boss a big, sweet hug. Allesandro wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, as the quiet night outside the estate lay peaceful, safe, and still under the starlit sky.
