Chapter 11 - A KISS BEFORE THE STORM
The Riverside pumping station stood beside the Chicago River.
Its redbrick walls were dark with age.
The tall windows had been boarded over.
And the old stone foundation stretched down toward the water.
Alessia stood beside Dante and Margaret Sullivan, her new employer.
Margaret had agreed to assist with the historical inspection.
Sarah accompanied them to preserve any relevant evidence.
Inside, the building smelled of rust and damp concrete.
Alessia examined the original architectural drawings.
Then the walls.
Her father's handwriting appeared in several construction notes.
For a moment, she felt as though he were standing beside her again.
---
They found the hidden compartment beneath a stone maintenance platform.
It contained a sealed metal case.
Inside were duplicate financial records, correspondence, and photographs showing the condition of buildings included in the Riverside Renewal Project.
The documents appeared to establish that several contractors had been paid for repairs that were never completed.
They also showed that Antonio Romano had raised objections.
And that Maria Moretti had supported him.
Alessia held a letter written by her father.
Miss Moretti,
I can't sign these papers. The repairs weren't finished, and the families deserve safe homes.
I know refusing will cost me work. But my children have to know their father didn't lie when it mattered.
Alessia began crying.
Dante stood beside her.
Neither spoke.
Then she whispered, "He knew."
Dante looked at her.
"What?"
"He knew it would cost him everything."
She folded the letter carefully.
"And he did it anyway."
---
That evening, they returned to the city.
The evidence was transferred to counsel and investigators.
Alessia stood outside the office, watching cars move through the wet streets.
Dante approached.
"Would you like a ride?"
She smiled.
"I have my own car."
"I know."
For a moment, neither moved.
Then he asked, "Would you like dinner?"
Alessia looked at him.
"Dante."
He waited.
"I'm not your employee anymore."
"I know."
"And I'm not someone you can protect by deciding everything for me."
"I know that too."
She studied his face.
"Then what is this?"
He took a breath.
"I don't know exactly."
The honesty surprised her.
He continued.
"I know I look for you when you aren't there. I know I want to tell you things I haven't told anyone. And I know that when something good happens, you're the first person I want to call."
Alessia's heart accelerated.
Dante looked down.
"I don't want to use what happened to your family as a reason to ask you to stay close to me."
She swallowed.
"Then don't."
He nodded.
"I won't."
Silence settled between them.
Then Alessia stepped closer.
"But you can ask me to dinner."
Dante looked up.
A smile slowly appeared.
"Would you have dinner with me?"
She smiled.
"Yes."
---
They went to a small Italian restaurant.
No private dining room.
No security entourage.
No waiters whispering his name.
Just pasta, bread, and two people discovering how little they knew about each other outside a mansion.
Dante told her about Maria's childhood obsession with astronomy.
Alessia told him how her father once built her a dollhouse from leftover oak.
They laughed.
Spoke about work.
Argued about whether Chicago pizza was better than New York pizza.
For one evening, neither was defined by the past.
---
When Dante walked her to her car, rain had begun falling.
He held an umbrella over them.
Alessia looked up.
"You're getting wet."
He smiled.
"An unavoidable tragedy."
She laughed.
Then fell silent.
He watched her carefully.
"Alessia?"
"Yes?"
"May I kiss you?"
Her heart raced.
For months, she had imagined what it might feel like.
But now, standing beneath the rain, the answer was hers to give.
"Yes."
Dante touched her cheek.
Then kissed her gently.
Alessia closed her eyes.
For a moment, there were no ledgers.
No betrayals.
No family secrets.
Only warmth.
When they separated, Dante rested his forehead against hers.
"I've wanted to do that for a long time."
She smiled.
"Then you're very patient."
He laughed softly.
"Not usually."
Her phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
It showed the old pumping station.
Smoke rose from its roof.
Beneath the image were five words.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT IT BURIED.
Alessia stared.
Then looked toward Dante.
May you like
The storm had finally arrived.
---
