Chapter 66: New Era I

Chapter 66: New Era I
3 Months Later

Haden

Three months.

Three fucking months, and still no sign of Maxim. He abandoned his last known hideout and went completely radio silent. Even his father claimed to have no idea where he was.

Now that I was Don, I had every resource imaginable at my disposal. If Maxim couldn’t be found, it was because he didn’t want to be. No doubt in my mind the Russians were hiding him. His father swore up and down he didn’t know anything, but I found that hard to believe.

Being Don also meant spending more time in Sicily. Ella had taken to it better than I ever expected. She loved trying all the local dishes, and the people here treated her like a queen. And the fact that she was carrying two boys? Everyone fed her like feeding her meant feeding the next generation of royalty. My uncle insisted we hold the wedding here, make it a destination event, and honestly, I didn’t need much convincing. Ella was hesitant at first, worried some of her family wouldn’t be able to make the trip. I told her not to worry about it. Whatever it took, we’d make sure they were here.

So here we were, touring our third villa for the ceremony.

Ella moved through the space like it had been built for her. Her eyes lifted toward the tall white ceilings, following the wedding planner’s voice as she went over the villa’s history and amenities. From the glimmer in her eyes to the way her shoulders relaxed, I could already tell this was the one. Stella’s entire energy shifted, lighter, brighter. Hopeful.

Her gaze snapped to mine. “I love this one.”

I gave a simple nod. “Then we’ll book this one,” I said, smiling.

She let out a little squeal, clapping her hands as she turned in a slow circle, soaking in every detail. That stupid grin on my face hadn’t left for a second. Seeing her like this, happy, glowing, alive. It filled a part of me I never knew was hollow.

“Excellent choice,” the wedding planner said, beaming. “We can go over the colors and decor later. When will you be heading back to America?”

“This evening,” I answered.

She nodded. “Perfect. I’ll arrange some video calls for next week. Does that work for you?” she asked, turning to Ella.

“Sounds great! Thank you for your help.”

I stood a few steps behind as they spoke. My eyes lingered on Ella. She was showing now, beautifully. Her round belly was soft and full, the fabric of her dress wrapping around her frame like it had been tailored just for her. Her hair was pulled back into a low curly puff, her skin glowing from the sun and pregnancy. She’d traded pants for long summer dresses, claiming they were more comfortable. I didn’t mind. Easy access.

After a few more words with the planner, Ella turned to me with that bright, heart-stealing smile. I reached for her hand as she walked over, our fingers naturally interlocking. We stepped out into the warm Sicilian sun and made our way to the car to head for the airport.

The flight home was calm. Ella drifted to sleep with her head against my shoulder while I reviewed some Cooper Inc. financials. When I finally shut the laptop, I stared out the window, letting my thoughts spiral.

It’d been a long few months.

Morgan and Luca weren’t doing well. Her mother had been whispering in her ear, stirring doubt and feeding the kind of fears that tore relationships apart. Luca was unraveling slowly. Taking on leadership of the Russos was one kind of pressure. Navigating a crumbling relationship was a completely different storm.

Morgan was confiding in Ella, which meant I stayed out of it. Ella wouldn’t betray her trust, and I didn’t ask. But I saw the cracks forming. Luca was losing his grip, and the anger that used to simmer in him had started to boil. He was lashing out. At his men, at his enemies, at anything that didn’t move fast enough. If things kept up, I was going to have to sit him down and remind him who he was.

When we finally touched down, Ella was still groggy and went straight to bed. I told the chef to prep food for when she woke, making sure it was light but filling. After checking in with the house staff, I grabbed my keys and headed out. I wasn’t sure where I was going yet, but movement always helped me think.

As I walked to my car, I spotted Tony stepping out of his.

“Hey Boss, you got a minute?”

“Yeah. What’s up?”

He ran a hand through his hair, an old nervous habit. I stopped walking and faced him fully, giving him my undivided attention.

“Speak.”

He hesitated for a beat.

“Well... a few of the guys were wondering. Since you’re Don now, will some of us start working directly under you, or are we staying with Luca?”

I arched a brow. “A few of the guys? Or just you, Enzo, and Micah?”

Tony gave a sheepish half-smile. “I mean... yeah. But the other men wanted to know too.”

I exhaled slowly.

“Tony, all of you work for me, regardless of title. However, I specifically chose you to watch over my queen. You’ll stay in that role. As for Enzo and Micah, their roles will promote under Luca. They’re more than soldiers now. Luca should have already gone over all this with you.”

Tony scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah... Luca hasn’t really been in the talking mood.”

“I’ll talk to him. Ella’s asleep. Make sure she gets plenty of water and eats when she wakes up.”

Tony nodded, heading back toward the building without another word.

I turned toward my car.

Guess I’m stopping at Luca’s.

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Joella

I woke to a slight tightness in my belly. The boys were moving around like they were practicing for a boxing match. I slowly pushed myself upright, groaning softly as the pressure shifted. Glancing at the clock, I blinked.

8 p.m.

Damn. I really slept the day away.

Yawning, I slipped on my fuzzy white slippers and made my way to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and smoothing a hand over my belly, I tied my fuzzy robe over the thin nightgown I had slept in and padded downstairs.

The first thing I saw was Tony sprawled out on the couch like he owned the place. Head tilted back, mouth wide open, snoring like a grizzly bear in hibernation. I couldn’t help the low chuckle that slipped out as I grabbed a nearby tissue box and tossed it at his head.

He jolted up, disoriented, eyes wide as they darted around before finally landing on me. He let out a groggy groan and rubbed the side of his face.

“Just rude, little one,” he mumbled with a pout, eyes still half-lidded.

I rolled mine and turned toward the kitchen, smirking as I heard his heavy footsteps follow behind.

“The chef left you a chicken Caesar salad and a mixed fruit bowl with nuts,” he said as I opened the fridge.

I nodded, reaching for the large fruit bowl. Grabbing a fork, I settled into one of the kitchen chairs.

“You don’t want the salad?” he asked, dropping into the seat across from me.

“I’ll eat it tomorrow.”

“He made a lot.”

“Tony, go make yourself some if you want it.”

Without hesitation, he hopped up, fixed himself a heaping bowl, and drowned it in an almost obscene amount of croutons before flopping back into the chair. He dug in like he hadn’t eaten in days, stuffing a forkful into his mouth.

“How are the little, little ones?” he asked between chews, giving me a cheesy grin.

I gave him a look and let out a soft laugh. “Well, I believe they’re fighting for space at the moment, and my poor ribs and bladder are paying the price,” I said, just as another kick made me wince.

“They’re gonna be each other’s worst enemy and best friend,” he said with a chuckle.

I smiled. Yes, they will be.

I opened my mouth to respond when my phone chimed. I picked it up from the table and frowned as I read the message lighting up my screen.

Morg 🥰 – He's completely lost it. I don't know if I can do this anymore.

With a sigh, I didn’t even bother replying. I just hit the dial button.

She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

“What’s going on?”

She exhaled into the phone, frustrated and tired. “He’s accusing me of liking my new bodyguard.”

“What?” I asked, brows furrowing. “Russell?”

“Yes. He said we’re too friendly and I laugh too much when he’s around. Ella, he’s always around. It’s literally his job.”

“I mean… you know how our men can get. Luca might just be feeling a little jealous. Now that he’s taken over, he doesn’t get to spend as much time with you. And another man gets more of your time than he does.”

“Did Haden act this way with Tony?” she asked.

I laughed. “Tony’s been threatened by Haden more times than I can count, especially when he was first assigned to me. It just takes time.”

She stayed quiet for a beat, then sighed again. “So what do I do?”

“You keep being you. Let Luca know there’s nothing to worry about. Russell will probably end up being your best friend, just like Tony is to me.”

At that, Tony looked up at me from his bowl, flashing me a bright, pearly grin before diving back into his salad like he didn’t just eavesdrop on the entire conversation. I shook my head, smiling.

“I guess you’re right,” Morgan said. “Russell’s honestly just a jokester. It’s nothing more than that.”

“Everything’s going to be okay, Morg. You two are going through a lot right now and fast. It’s a learning curve. But things will settle. Luca will learn how to balance everything, and you two will get back to where you were.”

“I don’t get how you go through all of this so seamlessly,” she said, her voice a little lighter now.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “I guess I just trust Haden to be… well, Haden. No matter what changes, I know his number one priority is my safety. So I don’t question too much.”

“I get that. Maybe I’m not trusting Luca enough. Maybe I am letting my mom get to me.”

“Your mom loves you. She has every right to her thoughts and feelings. But so do you. What is your heart telling you about Luca?”

She paused. “Everything I already know. I know our safety is important to him. I know he would die for us.”

“Is that good enough?” I asked gently.

“It’s always been more than enough. I just wish he could go back to being my Luca, not this angry version.”

I heard the weight in her voice, that helpless ache only a woman in love can carry.

“I’ll have Haden talk to him,” I said quietly.