THE EXIT STRATEGY

Three Months Later.

The Swiss Alps were covered in a pristine layer of fresh snow.

I sat on the wooden balcony of the chalet, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, watching the sun rise over the jagged peaks.

The air was crisp and completely silent.

No sirens. No bodyguards. No fear.

Just peace.

Beside my chair was a small wooden bassinet.

Inside, wrapped tightly in a white swaddle, slept my son.

Leo Arthur Rossi.

He had Matteo's dark hair and my father's name.

He was perfect.

But every time I looked at him, my heart fractured a little more.

I hadn't spoken to Matteo in ninety days.

Luca had stayed with me for the first month, making sure I was settled and the hospital arrangements were secure.

Then he had returned to Boston to handle the fallout.

The news from America was grim.

Victor Moretti was facing life in federal prison for the murder of my father and dozens of others.

But Matteo...

Matteo had pleaded guilty to racketeering. He had refused to testify against his own men, taking the full weight of the charges to ensure his crew walked away clean.

The judge was expected to hand down a fifteen-year sentence at his final hearing.

Which was today.

I looked at the silver watch sitting on the small patio table.

My father's watch.

I had kept it polished, a reminder of the truth that had cost so many people so much.

The wooden door of the chalet clicked open behind me.

I didn't turn around. Only one person had the security code.

"How is he?" Luca's voice was soft, muffled by a heavy winter scarf.

"He slept through the night," I whispered, reaching out to gently rock the bassinet.

Luca walked over and stood beside me, looking down at his sleeping nephew. A sad smile touched his face.

"He looks exactly like my brother did when we were kids."

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Did the sentencing happen yet?" I asked, dread heavy in my chest.

Luca pulled out his phone. He didn't look at me.

"The judge read the verdict an hour ago."

I closed my eyes. "How many years?"

"He didn't get fifteen years, Norah."

My eyes snapped open. I looked at Luca, panic rising.

"What do you mean? Did they give him more? Is it twenty?"

Luca shook his head slowly.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a manila envelope.

He handed it to me.

My hands were shaking as I unclasped the metal tie.

I pulled out a single sheet of heavy, watermarked paper.

It was an official document from the Department of Justice.

United States vs. Matteo Rossi.

I skimmed the legal jargon, my eyes desperately searching for a number.

And then I found it.

Sentence: Time Served. Three years probation.

I stopped breathing.

I stared at the paper, reading the words again and again.

"I don't understand," I whispered. "He confessed. He pleaded guilty."

"He did," Luca smiled, a real, genuine smile. "But Harper—Agent Harper—testified on his behalf. She presented the judge with the full dossier Matteo built against Victor over the last three years."

Luca pointed to the bottom of the page.

"Matteo didn't just give them Victor Moretti. He gave them the entire East Coast syndicate. He dismantled his own empire, piece by piece, turning over every asset, every bank account, every corrupt politician."

Tears spilled over my cheeks, hot and fast.

"He gave it all up?"

"He has nothing left, Norah," Luca said gently. "The mansions are gone. The money is seized. The power is gone."

Luca reached into his pocket one last time.

He pulled out something small and shiny.

He placed it gently on the table, right beside my father's silver watch.

It was my three-carat diamond wedding ring.

The one I had left on his desk.

"He asked me to give this back to you," Luca said quietly. "He said you don't have to wear it. He said he understands if you want to stay here, safe and hidden, and raise Leo in peace."

I stared at the ring.

"Where is he, Luca?"

"He's a free man, Norah. But he's a man with a target on his back. His old rivals won't forgive him for working with the Feds. He's going to have to disappear."

"Where is he?" I demanded, my voice stronger now.

Luca hesitated.

Then he smiled.

"He's waiting at the airfield in Geneva. He has a flight booked to South America in two hours. He didn't want to come here. He thought seeing you would make it too hard for him to leave."

I didn't hesitate.

I didn't think about the risks.

I didn't think about the past.

I stood up, grabbing my coat from the chair.

"Watch the baby," I ordered Luca.

"Norah, it's an hour drive to the airfield, and it's snowing—"

"I don't care if it's an avalanche," I snapped, grabbing the car keys from the hook by the door.

I slipped the diamond ring onto my finger. It felt heavy, cold, and absolutely perfect.

"I am going to get my husband."

I ran out the door, the engine of the SUV roaring to life in the freezing mountain air.

I drove down the winding Swiss roads, my knuckles white on the steering wheel, the ticking clock in my head screaming at me to go faster.