Chapter 7 - Reunion in the Crossfire
The reunion at the Ravenna estate was a moment that washed away five years of darkness in a single stroke.
When the heavy oak doors opened, Mia and Cara were standing at the top of the grand staircase, wrapped in oversized velvet robes. The moment they saw Elena walk through the door, their tiny faces lit up with pure, unadulterated joy.
"Mama!" they cried out in unison, their small feet pattering frantically down the marble stairs.
Elena dropped to her knees, opening her arms wide as both girls crashed into her. She held them so tightly she shook, weeping openly, kissing their faces, their hair, their small hands.
"My babies... my sweet, brave girls," Elena whispered, her voice cracking with overwhelming emotion. "You found him. You found your daddy."
Mia looked up from Elena’s shoulder, her gray eyes turning to Luca, who stood a few feet away, watching the scene with a tight chest. She reached out her small hand, holding out his mother's alexandrite ring.
"We gave him the ring, Mama," Mia said proudly. "He knew who we were right away."
Luca walked over and knelt beside them, his massive frame enveloping all three of them. For the first time in his adult life, the weight of the Ravenna empire felt light. He wasn't just protecting a territory anymore; he was protecting his heart.
"Arthur," Luca said, looking up at his loyal butler, who was discreetly wiping a tear from his eye. "Keep the perimeter on maximum lockdown. Nobody enters or leaves this property except my personal strike team."
Luca stood up, kissing Elena deeply on the lips—a promise of a future they had been denied for half a decade. "I have one final piece of business to settle in the city. When I get back, this war will be over permanently."
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Elena held his hand, her eyes pleading but understanding. "Come back to us, Luca. Don't let them take you away from us again."
"Never," Luca promised.
