Chapter 5 - Sunrise Over Manhattan
Six months later.
The Manhattan skyline glowed brilliantly in the early morning light of a crisp September morning.
From the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the executive penthouse on the sixty-fifth floor of Moretti Tower, the view was breathtaking. Down on the street below, yellow cabs zipped through traffic, and commuters hurried along the sidewalks.
Inside the executive office, a small corner had been transformed into a bright, colorful playroom filled with toy bins, watercolor pads, and an enormous stuffed rabbit sitting proudly in a miniature armchair.
Six-year-old Lily sat at a small wooden table, busy coloring a picture of a smiling lion wearing a crown.
I stood by the window, wearing a tailored charcoal pantsuit, holding a tablet filled with shipping manifests and corporate restructuring reports. The shadow of the Bellini syndicate was gone, replaced by a clean, legitimate shipping and logistics empire that spanned the entire East Coast.
The heavy oak door to the office clicked open.
Vincent walked in, carrying two cups of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows. He wore an expensive tailored suit, but the cold, intimidating aura that once defined him had softened into something warm, grounded, and fiercely protective.
He walked straight over to Lily’s table, setting one cup down before dropping down onto one knee to inspect her artwork.
“Is that me?” Vincent asked, pointing at the crowned lion on the paper.
Lily looked up, her big brown eyes blinking seriously. “No. That’s a king. You’re the airplane.”
Vincent laughed—a rich, booming sound that echoed off the glass walls. He gently tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. “Right. The airplane.”
He stood up, walking over to stand beside me by the window, handing me my coffee before looking out over the sprawling city.
“How are the Red Hook shipping logs looking?” Vincent asked, his shoulder brushing against mine.
“Fully cleared, boss,” I smiled, taking a sip of the warm coffee. “Customs signed off on every container an hour ago. Not a single discrepancy.”
May you like
Vincent nodded, sliding his hand over mine, his fingers warm and steady against my skin.
“Good,” he murmured, watching Lily hum happily as she added a yellow sun to her drawing. “Because we’re done hiding in the shadows, Clara. From here on out, everything we build is built in the light.”
