Chapter 5 - A New Beginning
The next morning, the sun broke through the clouds, painting the Chicago skyline in shades of pink and gold.
I walked into the private room at Dr. Bianchi’s clinic. Sarah was sitting up in bed, color finally returning to her cheeks. She was eating a warm bowl of soup, her hand resting on Emma's head as the little girl slept soundly in a chair beside her.
When Sarah saw me enter, she immediately tried to set the bowl down, her eyes filled with a new kind of respect—one born not of fear, but of gratitude.
"Mr. Moretti," she said, her voice stronger now.
"Stay seated, Sarah," I said, walking over to the window. "I have some news for you."
I pulled a set of keys from my pocket and laid them on the bedside table, alongside a deed.
"The house on the east side was unsafe," I said. "I have purchased a townhouse for you in Lincoln Park. It is fully furnished. There is food in the pantry, clothes in the closets, and yes... a new crib for your baby boy, who will be discharged from the state foster system and returned to you by noon today."
Sarah stared at the keys, then at the deed. Tears began to stream down her face, but she didn't sob. She simply looked at me, her chest rising and falling in deep, peaceful breaths.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why would you do all of this for us?"
I looked at Emma, who was stirring in her sleep, her small fingers still clutching the handle of her brand-new, gleaming pink bicycle that my men had delivered to the clinic lobby earlier that morning.
"Because in Chicago, my name is the law," I said, turning back to the door. "And the law protects the silent."
As I stepped out into the crisp morning air, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Silvio.
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"Marcone is gone, Boss. The East Side is clean."
"Good," I said, looking up at the clear blue sky. "Let's keep it that way."
