Chapter 8 - The Emergency Summons
Within twenty minutes, I had dialed a number I swore I would never use again.
It rang twice before a deep, breathless voice answered. "Nia?"
"Meet me at the cafe on Webster Avenue in thirty minutes," I said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "Alone, Luca. And don't stop for anyone."
"Nia, what's wrong? Are the kids okay?" Panic spiked instantly in his tone.
"Just get here," I said, and hung up.
The corner cafe was quiet, bathed in the warm scent of roasted espresso beans and fresh pastries. I sat at a corner booth facing the door, a cup of untouched black coffee steaming in front of me.
The bell above the door chimed.
Luca walked in, scanning the room frantically until his dark eyes locked onto mine. He strode across the room, shedding his overcoat as he slid into the vinyl booth across from me. He looked haggard, the dark circles under his eyes evidence of a sleepless night.
"Nia, what happened? Did something happen to Leo or Maya?" he asked, leaning across the table, his voice urgent.
"No, the children are fine," I said, keeping my voice low. "They're with my neighbor Sarah for a half-hour. But we have a much bigger problem."
Luca frowned, his brow furrowing into that familiar, stubborn crease. "What kind of problem?"
"Julian Vance."
The name hit the table like a physical blow. Luca went completely still, his eyes narrowing into cold, dangerous slits.
"What does Julian have to do with this?" Luca asked, his voice dropping an octave.
"He called me about twenty minutes ago," I said, my hands trembling as I wrapped them around my coffee cup. "He knows about the twins, Luca. He knows you've been staking out my apartment, he knows you fired your lawyers, and he knows you're vulnerable. He told me he's coming after you—and he implied that my children are leverage he's willing to use."
A terrifying silence settled over the table.
For three seconds, Luca didn't move. Then, a cold, lethal fury erupted behind his dark eyes—the kind of absolute ruthlessness that had earned him his reputation in the boardrooms of Chicago.
"He called you?" Luca whispered, his voice shaking with restrained rage. "Julian dared to call you?"
"He said he's sending someone this afternoon," I continued, leaning forward. "Luca, he's planning a hostile takeover of Moretti Global, and he thinks he can use our family to break your focus. I didn't want to call you. God knows I wanted to handle this myself. But I couldn't risk the safety of my children."
Luca reached across the table, covering my trembling hands with his warm, steady palms.
"You did the right thing calling me," he said, his voice fierce and unyielding. "Julian thinks he can play chess with my life? I built Moretti Global from the ground up, and I will tear every brick of it down before I let that bastard lay a finger on you or my children."
"What are we going to do?" I asked, looking into his eyes.
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"We are going to lay a trap," Luca replied, a dark, brilliant smile touching his lips. "Julian thinks I'm distracted. Let's give him exactly what he's looking for—and then close the cage."
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