Chapter 7 - The Shadows of the Past
The winter gave way to a magnificent Italian spring. The hills of Lombardy exploded into a sea of wild lavender, red poppies, and brilliant green grass.
In April, Lorenzo made an announcement that shocked the entire Italian business community.
He called a press conference at the grand Duca estate in Milan. Standing before fifty journalists, television cameras, and corporate leaders, dressed in a flawless charcoal suit, Lorenzo stood beside Renata and Mia.
"For thirteen years," Lorenzo announced into the battery of microphones, his voice echoing through the grand hall, "the Duca Foundation has operated as a private entity. Effective today, forty percent of all profits from the Duca Transportation Network will be permanently redirected into the Mia Vance Foundation for Women and Children in Need."
The room erupted into flashes of white camera light and loud questions from reporters.
"Don Lorenzo!" a reporter from Corriere della Sera shouted. "Who is the woman beside you? Is she a new business partner?"
Lorenzo turned, looking down at Renata, who wore a stunning dark green silk dress, her hand resting comfortably in his. He reached down, taking her hand, raising it slightly for the cameras to see.
"This is Renata Vance," Lorenzo declared, his voice filled with pride and devotion. "She is the Chief Executive Officer of the new foundation. And as of next month, she will be my wife."
The flashbulbs flared like supernova explosions.
Behind them, standing near the velvet curtain, Marco smiled warmly, holding Mia on his shoulders so the seven-year-old girl could watch her mother and her new father shine under the lights.
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"Look, Uncle Marco!" Mia giggled, pointing at the cameras. "Mommy looks like a queen!"
"She is a queen, little one," Marco replied softly, watching Lorenzo wrap his arm around Renata’s waist, pulling her close for a kiss as the room erupted into applause. "And your father just built her a kingdom."
