Chapter 5

I do not listen any longer.

I end the call.

The screen goes dark, but I remain seated in my Chicago apartment for a long time.

Afternoon light cuts through the blinds, falling across the unopened suitcases and the bare wooden floor.

By the time the room begins to dim, I finally get up and unpack.

I have just folded the last of my clothes into the wardrobe when my phone rings.

Luca's name flashes across the screen.

I stare at it for a long time before answering.

"Serena."

His voice is raw, as if he has not slept all night.

"I checked the airport footage. You really left New York."

"Yes."

Silence stretches between us.

"Send me your address. I'll come get you."

"No."

"Serena!"

His voice rises sharply.

I listen without anger and without the ache I once would have felt.

There is only a faint, bone-deep exhaustion.

"Luca," I say, "our engagement is over. I thought you understood that."

The line goes quiet.

After a long moment, he forces out the words.

"I never agreed to that."

"It takes two people to begin a relationship," I say. "It only takes one to end it."

He draws a deep breath before speaking again.

"Serena, give me your address. I'll deal with the purge order. Your name can be restored to the family registry. We can reschedule the notarization. We can—"

"Luca."

I cut him off.

"Let's end this without making it uglier than it already is."

Then I hang up.

The family I join is the Carraro family.

They put me in charge of three harbor routes and the family's core accounts.

On my first day at the estate, a secretary leads me through the long corridors, introducing the family members and outlining the businesses currently in motion.

She moves efficiently and speaks without wasting a word.

At the study door, she stops and knocks twice.

"Don Carraro, Miss Serena is here."

I look up.

The man behind the desk is young.

Dante Carraro is four years younger than I am, but he has already ruled the Carraro family for two years.

He wears a black shirt. A pale scar cuts through his right brow.

"Serena?"

"Yes."

He pushes a stack of files toward the edge of the desk.

"The East Harbor accounts have failed to balance for six months. Now that you're here, they're yours."

I take the files.

"When do you need the answer?"

"As soon as possible."

He does not ask why I left Valenti. He only talks about the work.

The restraint is a relief.

I open the first ledger.

"Then I'll start now."

Dante nods.

"Welcome to Carraro."