Chapter 4 - The Safehouse in Vermont
Six months later.
A heavy blanket of white snow covered the Green Mountains of Vermont, turning the dense pine forests into a quiet, frozen paradise.
Nestled deep in the valley sat a two-story timber cabin. It had no iron gates, no biometric scanners, and no armed guards patrolling the perimeter in dark suits. Only a single plume of gray smoke rising smoothly from the stone chimney into the clear blue sky.
Inside, the cabin smelled of burning oak, cinnamon, and fresh coffee.
Maya sat at a large pine dining table near the fireplace, wearing a cozy green sweater. She had a tablet in front of her, but she wasn't playing video games. Her small fingers were navigating through an encrypted stock trading platform, tracking market shifts with scary efficiency.
A young woman with dark hair pulled back into a simple clip sat beside her, checking a stack of third-grade math workbooks.
Her name was Clara Vance—a former pediatric nurse Alessandro had hired three months ago from Boston to serve as Maya’s tutor and guardian. Clara was quiet, highly intelligent, and entirely unimpressed by the legendary Duca name.
"Maya," Clara said gently, tapping the tablet screen. "You finished your algebra problems in ten minutes, but you haven't touched your history essay."
"History is boring," Maya said matter-of-factly, not looking up from the stock chart. "It already happened. The market is happening right now."
Clara let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "You sound just like your uncle."
The heavy front door of the cabin opened, bringing in a swirl of crisp winter air.
Alessandro walked in, carrying a large armful of chopped firewood. He wore a heavy wool flannel shirt, rugged jeans, and leather boots—a world away from the dark tailored suits he had worn in Long Island. His dark hair was slightly longer, his sharp jawline softened by a neat beard.
He set the logs down by the hearth, dusting the snow off his sleeves.
"How’s the genius doing?" Alessandro asked, walking over to the table and pressing a warm kiss to the top of Maya's head.
"She’s trying to trade commodity futures instead of writing about the American Revolution," Clara said, leaning back in her chair with a warm smile.
Alessandro grinned, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside them. "What did I tell you about shorting wheat futures before the spring reports, Maya?"
"Never short commodities without checking the weather satellite data first," Maya replied instantly, looking up with a proud smile.
Alessandro chuckled, tossing a small wooden carving onto the table. It was a miniature wolf, hand-carved out of pine wood. Maya grabbed it eagerly, adding it to the collection sitting on her windowsill.
Clara watched the two of them, her eyes warm.
When she had first taken the job three months ago, she had expected to work for a cold, ruthless mobster hiding from the law. Instead, she had found a man who woke up at 5:00 AM every morning to make hot oatmeal for his niece, who spent hours sitting by the fireplace listening to her explain computer code, and who looked at Clara with a quiet, intense tenderness that made her heart skip a beat every time he walked into the room.
"Dominic called while you were outside," Clara said softly, setting her coffee mug down.
Alessandro’s smile faded slightly. He looked at Clara, his eyes sharpening. "What did he say?"
"The federal investigation in New York is officially closed," Clara reported, her voice dropping into a quiet, relieved whisper. "The court accepted Robert Langley’s private records as definitive proof of sole financial fraud. The Duca estate’s clean assets have been fully transferred into the new private foundation in Switzerland. You’re clean, Alessandro. Completely clean."
Silence fell over the cozy room.
Alessandro sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath of the pine-scented air. For six months, he had waited for the other shoe to drop—for the marshals, the rival syndicates, or the ghosts of his past to come tearing through the woods.
Now, there was only the quiet crackle of the fireplace and the steady rhythm of a peaceful life.
May you like
He looked at Maya, who was happily showing Clara a new software program she had designed to automate the cabin’s solar heating panels. Then he looked at Clara, seeing the gentle, beautiful smile resting on her lips.
For the first time in thirty-five years, Alessandro felt his shoulders drop completely.
