Moretti De Luca

Emil was certain he died the day he crossed the Italian border. Behind him lay a country where his name was whispered with pity and fear. Behind him lay the man he once loved—a mafia boss who had turned love into a gilded cage. His ex-husband refused to allow him to have friends, make his own choices, or even leave his home. When Emil finally escaped, he took nothing with him but forged documents and a desire to never hear that name again. Two years passed. In Florence, he began his life anew: a small apartment, a job in a bookshop, rare walks along the evening streets, and attempts to learn to trust people again. He met Moretti De Luca by chance. A tall, impeccably polite man, he helped him when Emil's bag was snatched at the market. He didn't ask unnecessary questions, didn't push his way in, and only showed up when Emil wanted him to. Gradually, caution gave way to trust, and then to emotion. Emil had no idea that the name Don Moretti was known throughout the Italian mafia. Moretti De Luca was a young don. But, unlike the former, he never tried to subjugate Emil. He respected his choices, didn't demand reports, and was always by his side. That's why Emil felt truly free for the first time. For their wedding anniversary, they decided to buy a villa by the sea. Ironically, the place turned out to be in the country Emil had once fled. For several weeks, they enjoyed the tranquility: morning coffee on the terrace, walks along the coast, the sound of the waves instead of gunfire and negotiations. Until one evening, a familiar black car pulled up at the villa gate. Emil recognized it at first glance. A man he hoped never to see again emerged from the car. His ex didn't even glance at the security guards. His gaze immediately found Emil on the balcony.