Chapter 3 - THE SIZABLE SUIT
Elena stood paralyzed near the mahogany doorway, her chest heaving, her hands clutched over her apron as she watched the most feared man in Chicago drop down onto one knee in front of her three-year-old daughter.
Luca Valente’s massive, six-foot-three frame lowered gracefully until his gray eyes were level with Mia’s oversized black sunglasses.
He didn't reach out with anger. With extreme, methodical care, his large, calloused fingers—fingers bearing subtle dark ink across the knuckles—reached up and gently adjusted the oversized black tie hanging from her neck, straightening the messy knot so it sat flush against her lavender princess dress.
"You don't enter private rooms without permission, Mia," Luca spoke softly, his voice low, firm, but laced with an undeniable warmth that Elena had never heard him use with anyone else in the compound.
Mia nodded her head seriously, her dark curls bouncing beneath her silver bow. "I know. But the door was open, and the mirror called me."
Luca offered a small, rare twitch of a smile at the corner of his lips. His gray eyes swept over her absurd ensemble—the fluffy lavender tulle sticking out from beneath the oversized black children's jacket, the shiny silver shoes, and the brown plastic toy briefcase sitting on his rug.
"The suit is impressive," Luca admitted quietly, his tone serious as if evaluating a new lieutenant at his council table. "Very professional."
Mia beamed, her face lighting up with pure, unadulterated pride. She reached up with her tiny hands, pushing the oversized black sunglasses slightly up her nose so she could look directly into his gray eyes.
"Can I be important one day, Mr. Luca?" Mia asked, her wide brown eyes full of innocent hope. "Like you?"
Luca stared into her clear, fearless eyes for a long, silent beat. He thought of the men who sat around his executive table—seasoned lieutenants, hardened capos, and politicians who spent their lives scheming, lying, and trembling behind smiles.
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"You already give better advice than most men at my table," Luca said softly, his deep voice carrying an unshakeable sincerity.
Beside the doorway, Elena watched the scene in complete, stunned silence. Her hands slowly unclasped from her apron, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the dark, untouchable crime boss kneeling on his knees, gently straightening a three-year-old maid's daughter's tie as if she were the most important person in the state.
