Chapter 5 - The Glass Wall
"She unlatched the east gate herself?" Luca asked softly, his eyes never leaving the little girl in the garden.
"Yes, boss," Marco replied, standing a respectful distance behind him. "And she washed him. With lavender soap. The dog didn't just allow it; he protected her when Matteo tried to use the service exit."
Luca remembered the day he had acquired Nero—a traumatized, highly aggressive rescue bred for violence, incapable of trust. Luca had respected the animal because they were identical: hardened by survival, built to keep the world at an absolute distance. He had built high walls around his heart just as he had built high walls around Villa De Santis.
He opened the glass door and stepped out onto the patio.
At the sound of the latch, Nero’s ears perked up instantly. The dog stood, the dandelion crown slipping slightly to one side, and walked over to Luca, sitting at his left heel in strict tactical formation.
Lily looked up, her bright hazel eyes fixing on the tall, formidable man who commanded the fear of the entire city. She didn't shrink back.
"Hello, Mr. Boss," she said cheerfully, holding up a yellow flower. "Your puppy was very good today. He likes bubbles."
Elena immediately stepped forward, her face tense with motherly instinct. "Mr. De Santis, I am so sorry. If my daughter caused any disruption—"
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Luca raised a single hand, cutting off her apology. He looked down at the tiny girl, then at the dirt smudges on his prized security dog, and finally at Elena.
"She saved the syndicate twenty million dollars in compromised intelligence today," Luca said quietly. "And she did something I thought was impossible."
