Chicago – Five Months Later
Grace never thought she'd live in a penthouse surrounded by silence and secrets. But here she was.
The floor-to-ceiling windows gave her a perfect view of Lake Michigan, but all she could see was her reflection—tired, haunted, wearing a silk robe that felt more like armor than luxury.
Luciano was out again.
The third night this week.
She didn't ask questions anymore. Asking only opened doors she wasn't sure she could close.
Her hand drifted to her stomach—flat now, but not for long.
She hadn't told him.
Not yet.
Because how do you tell a man who kills for peace that he's about to be someone's father?
The door clicked.
She tensed.
Then he stepped in—black coat soaked from the rain, jaw clenched like he'd just walked through hell.
But the blood wasn't his.
"Anyone I know?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer. Just went to the liquor cabinet.
Poured whiskey like it was holy water.
"You're spiraling," she said.
Luciano turned to her, eyes sharp. "No. I'm eliminating threats."
"You're becoming one."
His nostrils flared.
Then… soft.
"You don't understand what it takes to keep you safe."
"Don't I?" She crossed the room. "I've been living inside your darkness for almost a year, Luciano. I sleep beside it. I breathe it in. And I'm still here."
He looked at her for a long time.
Then said quietly, "You shouldn't be."
---
Later that Night
She found the file by accident.
Under a drawer he thought she'd never open.
Names. Faces. Dossiers.
Targets.
Her name was on the list—crossed out in red.
But one name wasn't.
Dr. Simon Hale.
The man who once mentored her in medical school.
The man who vanished after she left.
The man who now worked for the FBI's organized crime task force.
She stared at the file.
Then heard his voice behind her.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
She turned slowly. "Why is Simon on your list?"
Luciano's face was stone. "Because he's not who you think he is."
"And you a