Chapter 10 - BUILDING BRIDGES
Over the next month, a new routine began to take shape.
Instead of hiding in the shadows, Luca stepped into the role of a father with a fierce, dedicated discipline. He rescheduled board meetings to make it to Leo’s soccer practices, cleared his calendar every afternoon to help Maya with her art projects, and transformed a wing of his estate into a haven for the kids.
The twins, initially cautious, quickly warmed up to the man who seemed capable of fixing any problem with a calm word.
"Mom! Look what Dad brought!" Leo yelled one Saturday afternoon, bursting through the kitchen doors of my townhouse—which Luca had insisted on fitting with state-of-the-art security.
Luca stepped in behind him, holding two oversized telescope boxes, looking somewhat sheepish.
"A telescope?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Two telescopes," Luca corrected, setting the boxes down carefully. "Maya mentioned she wanted to see the rings of Saturn. Leo wanted to find the moon lander."
"You're spoiling them, Mr. Moretti," I said, though a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
"I'm making up for lost time, Ms. Carter," he countered smoothly, his amber-tinted eyes lingering on my face with a warmth that made my breath hitch.
That evening, as the kids set up the telescopes in the backyard with Marco, Luca stood beside me on the porch, holding two mugs of hot tea.
"They're incredible kids, Nia," he said quietly, gazing out at the yard. "You did a magnificent job raising them alone. I am in awe of you."
"It wasn't always easy," I confessed, leaning against the wooden railing. "There were nights I sat on the floor crying because I didn't know how I was going to pay for their preschool while working two jobs."
Luca froze. He set his mug down, his jaw tightening so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "You were struggling... while I was sitting in a penthouse spending millions on useless acquisitions."
"You didn't know, Luca."
"I should have checked on you!" he said, turning to face me fully. "Even after a divorce, I should have made sure you were taken care of. My pride kept me from reaching out, and you suffered for it."
"I didn't suffer," I said firmly, looking up into his eyes. "I built a life. A real one. Without your money, without your name. And that life brought me back here, stronger than I was before."
May you like
Luca looked at me for a long moment, his eyes searching every feature of my face as if seeing me clearly for the very first time. Without thinking, he lifted a hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"You were always stronger than me, Nia," he whispered. "I was just too arrogant to see it."
