Chapter 14 - The Last Thing Carlo Wanted
Ruby swung the lamp.
Carlo ducked.
The brass base struck his shoulder.
He cursed.
Ruby ran.
A second man blocked the hallway.
She turned toward the kitchen.
Carlo grabbed her coat.
Ruby twisted free.
“Let go of me!”
“You are making this unnecessarily dramatic.”
“You broke into my home.”
“Yes.”
“That usually makes people dramatic.”
Carlo almost smiled.
Ruby grabbed a knife from the counter.
He stopped.
“Do you know how to use that?”
“No.”
She held it tighter.
“But neither do you.”
Carlo stared.
Then laughed.
“I see why Dante ruined himself.”
Ruby’s face hardened.
“Do not talk about him.”
“Still protective.”
“I’m protective of my right to stab trespassers.”
The second man moved.
Ruby lifted the knife.
“Try.”
He stopped.
Carlo sighed.
“I came to negotiate.”
“You came with a thug.”
“He’s my driver.”
The man looked offended.
Ruby almost laughed.
“Get out.”
Carlo placed a folder on the counter.
“Read this.”
“No.”
“It concerns your father.”
Ruby’s stomach tightened.
“Leave.”
“Thomas Gallagher signed the port debt instruments.”
Ruby froze.
Carlo saw.
“Yes.”
“He says Salvatore forced him.”
“Maybe.”
“What do you want?”
“Two terminals.”
“No.”
“In return, I release all claims.”
“No.”
“Ruby.”
“No.”
Carlo leaned forward.
“If this goes to court, Gallagher Shipping could lose far more.”
Ruby looked at the folder.
He might be right.
She hated that.
“What does Dante have to do with this?”
Carlo smiled.
“Everything.”
“No.”
“His resignation weakened the instruments.”
Ruby frowned.
“How?”
“Certain debts were guaranteed by Moretti authority.”
“So when he resigned…”
“The guarantees became contestable.”
Ruby understood.
“You need Dante to confirm them.”
“Yes.”
“And he won’t.”
“No.”
“So you came to me.”
“To persuade him.”
Ruby laughed.
“Then you understand nothing about my marriage.”
Carlo’s smile faded.
“You think he will refuse you?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
Ruby lowered the knife slightly.
“If I asked him to validate those debts, he would ask why.”
“And?”
“I would tell him.”
Carlo’s eyes hardened.
“He would still refuse?”
“Yes.”
“How can you know?”
Ruby stared at him.
“Because he learned.”
The room went quiet.
Carlo shook his head.
“Men like Dante do not change.”
“Maybe.”
Ruby shrugged.
“But you’re betting your whole plan on him being the same man.”
Carlo’s expression changed.
Ruby knew she had hit something.
“You need him,” she said.
Carlo said nothing.
“You need his signature.”
Silence.
“Not mine.”
Carlo looked toward the door.
The driver shifted.
Ruby smiled faintly.
“You broke into the wrong apartment.”
Then a voice came from behind them.
“No.”
Dante stood in the doorway.
“He broke into the right one.”
Ruby’s heart stopped.
He looked different.
Thinner.
Hair shorter.
No expensive suit.
Dark coat.
Simple shirt.
But the eyes were the same.
Carlo smiled.
“Dante.”
Dante looked only at Ruby.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Then he looked at Carlo.
“You have ten seconds to leave.”
Carlo laughed.
“You have no authority.”
“Correct.”
Dante stepped inside.
“But her building security does.”
Sirens sounded below.
Ruby looked at him.
“You called them?”
“No.”
Ruby smiled.
“I did.”
Dante almost laughed.
Carlo’s face hardened.
He grabbed the folder.
“This is not over.”
Ruby lifted the knife again.
“It is in my kitchen.”
Carlo left.
His driver followed.
Police met them downstairs.
Ruby remained by the counter.
Dante stood near the door.
They looked at each other.
A year.
More.
Every betrayal.
Every letter.
Every courtroom.
Every silent night.
Dante spoke first.
“You didn’t ask me to come.”
“No.”
“I heard Carlo was moving.”
“So you ignored your own rule.”
“Yes.”
Ruby nodded.
“Good.”
He blinked.
“Good?”
“He broke into my apartment.”
“Fair.”
Silence.
Dante looked around.
“Nice place.”
“Thank you.”
“Small.”
“Compared to your mansion?”
“My current place is smaller.”
“You have a place?”
“Matteo found me one.”
Ruby smiled.
“Of course.”
Dante’s gaze softened.
“I will leave.”
Ruby’s chest tightened.
He turned.
“Dante.”
He stopped.
She looked at his back.
“You could stay for coffee.”
He turned slowly.
“Coffee?”
“Yes.”
“No acquisition clauses?”
“None.”
“No lawyers?”
“No.”
“No armed guards?”
Ruby glanced toward the hall.
“Police don’t count.”
He smiled.
“Coffee.”
They sat at her kitchen table.
At first, conversation felt impossible.
Then ordinary things appeared.
Matteo.
Maria.
Gallagher Shipping.
Bianca’s terrible cooking.
Dante’s new apartment.
Ruby laughed.
Dante watched her.
She noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That is suspicious.”
“I missed that sound.”
Ruby looked down.
Silence.
Dante stood.
“I should go.”
She did not stop him.
Not yet.
At the door, he turned.
“Ruby.”
“Yes?”
“I meant what I wrote.”
“I know.”
“I will not ask for another chance.”
Her throat tightened.
“Why?”
“Because asking would put the weight on you.”
Ruby stared.
“So what will you do?”
“Live differently.”
“For me?”
“No.”
Good answer.
“For myself.”
Better.
Ruby nodded.
Dante left.
She closed the door.
Then opened it again.
He had not reached the elevator.
“Dante.”
He turned.
Ruby walked toward him.
Her hand went into her pocket.
Not the ring.
She no longer carried it every day.
Instead, she held the burned edge of a contract page.
She had saved one fragment from the council fire.
Dante stared.
Ruby said, “There’s one thing left.”
“What?”
She held it up.
“The original.”
“We voided it.”
“Legally.”
“Yes.”
“Not symbolically.”
Dante understood.
Ruby continued.
“Bianca still has the original.”
Dante’s face tightened.
“She told me you had it.”
“She lied.”
Ruby sighed.
“Of course she did.”
Dante frowned.
“Then where is it?”
Ruby’s phone rang.
Bianca.
Ruby answered.
Bianca’s voice sounded frightened.
“Ruby.”
“What happened?”
“The contract is gone.”
Ruby went still.
Dante saw.
“What?”
Bianca whispered through the phone.
“Someone stole it.”
Ruby looked at Dante.
Then Bianca said the name.
“Thomas.”
May you like
Ruby’s father had taken the original marriage contract.
And no one knew why.
