Chapter 6 - The Fall and the Crown
Twenty-four hours later.
The council vote was no longer a contest. It was a coronation.
In the grand marble hall of the Moretti headquarters, thirty capos and family heads raised their hands in unanimous agreement, crowning Nikolai Moretti as the new Don of Chicago.
Julian had been stripped of his family name, his titles, and his inheritance, banished from the city under threat of death if he ever returned. My father's company had been forced into immediate bankruptcy, its assets bought for pennies on the dollar by Moretti Enterprises—and placed directly under my personal ownership.
My mother and Serena had been forced to sell their suburban mansion to pay off their remaining personal debts, moving into a small, modest apartment on the outskirts of the city, stripped of their high-society status forever.
At 9:00 PM, after the official ceremony concluded, Nikolai and I stood on the private balcony of his Lake Forest estate. The cool autumn wind rustled through the dark trees below us, carrying the crisp scent of the lake.
I leaned against the stone railing, holding a glass of red wine, looking out at the city lights.
"It's over," I said softly. "Hart Logistics is mine. My father is ruined. Julian is gone."
Nikolai stepped up behind me, sliding his arms around my waist, pulling my back firmly against his chest. His chin rested on my shoulder, his warm breath fanning against my skin.
"And what about our contract?" he asked softly, his voice thick with an emotion he had kept hidden for weeks. "The business alliance is complete, Evelyn. You have your independence. You have your money. You can walk away anytime you want."
I froze. I slowly turned around in his arms, looking up into his dark gray eyes.
"Are you asking me to leave, Nikolai?" I whispered.
"I would rather tear this city down brick by brick than let you leave me," Nikolai swore, his hand rising to gently cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone with incredible tenderness. "This started as a deal to break my brother. But somewhere along the way... I fell completely, hopelessly in love with you, Evelyn."
My heart did a slow, breathtaking flip in my chest.
"You called me the better sister on the night we met," I murmured, smiling up at him.
May you like
"I was wrong," Nikolai whispered, leaning down until his lips were mere millimeters from mine. "You are not just the better sister. You are the only woman who was ever meant to be my queen."
He kissed me—a deep, slow, possessive kiss that consumed every lingering doubt in my mind. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, sinking into his warmth, knowing with absolute certainty that I was finally home.
