Chapter 40 - The Sovereign Accord
When we emerged from the Palazzo Mezzanotte into the crisp Milanese afternoon, the Mediterranean sun broke through the clouds, bathing the Piazza degli Affari in brilliant gold.
Reporters from *Bloomberg*, *Reuters*, and the *Corriere della Sera* were gathered at the barricades, cameras flashing incessantly as our security detail cleared a path to our waiting convoy.
"Donna Sophie! Is it true the Castiglione trust has reclaimed full sovereignty over the northern ports?"
"Mrs. Mercer! What does this mean for Mercer Atelier’s global expansion?"
I stopped briefly at the base of the marble steps. I adjusted the soft cashmere blanket around Noah, who blinked calmly at the flashing lights, completely unfazed by the chaos of the world around him.
"Mercer Atelier has returned to its roots," I said clearly into the sea of microphones. "The Castiglione heritage has been restored. And our doors will remain open only to those who understand that honor, family, and truth cannot be bought or broken."
Without waiting for another question, I stepped into the armored town car. Julian sat across from me, a bottle of vintage champagne resting in the cooler between us.
"To the matriarch," Julian said, raising a crystal flute.
"To the family," I replied, tapping my glass against his.
We drove south, leaving the corporate battlegrounds behind, heading back toward the serene waters of Lake Como and the sunlit terraces of Soriano. For the first time since the night Carter had whispered his first threat in our Manhattan penthouse, I felt truly free.
The empire was safe. The debt was settled. The ghosts of the past were laid to rest.
May you like
Or so I believed.
***
