Valentina's POV

The weeks following the Colombo attack were a blur of sleepless nights and adrenaline-fueled days. I'd never imagined I'd be coordinating defensive strategies or negotiating truces, yet here I was, doing just that. Marco became my constant shadow, teaching me the intricacies of Luca's world that I'd only glimpsed before.

"You're a natural, Doc," he said one night as we pored over territory maps. "Luca chose well."

His words warmed me, but also sent a pang through my heart. Luca. My Luca, still behind bars while I fought to keep his empire – our future – intact.

The clinic remained my sanctuary, though now it served a dual purpose. By day, I healed the sick and wounded. By night, it became a war room where Marco and I planned our next moves against the Colombos.

It was during one of these late-night strategy sessions that my phone buzzed with a message that made my heart skip a beat. It was from an unknown number, but I knew instantly who it was from:

"Parole hearing scheduled. Two weeks. I love you, cara mia."

Tears sprang to my eyes as I showed Marco the message. His usually stoic face broke into a wide grin.

"It's time to bring the boss home," he said, squeezing my shoulder.

The next two weeks were a whirlwind of preparation. I called in every favor, every connection I'd made over the past years. The clinic's success had earned me goodwill with influential people, and I wasn't above using it now.

On the day of the hearing, I stood before the parole board, my heart pounding but my voice steady. I spoke of Luca's transformation, of the man I knew he'd become. I presented letters from inmates he'd helped, testimonials from prison staff, and plans for his reintegration into society.

As I finished my appeal, I locked eyes with Luca across the room. In that moment, I saw everything – his love, his determination, his fear of disappointing me. I poured all my strength into a single look, willing him to understand: Whatever happened, we were in this together.

Hours later, as we waited for the decision, I found myself pacing the courthouse corridors. That's when I overheard a conversation that chilled me to the bone.

"The Colombos won't let Moretti walk," a gruff voice said. "They've got people on the inside. If the board doesn't keep him in, they'll make sure he never makes it out alive."

My world tilted. We'd been so focused on the legal battle, we'd overlooked the most fundamental rule of Luca's world: There were always enemies waiting in the shadows.

As the board reconvened, I made a split-second decision. I couldn't let Luca walk into a death trap. With shaking hands, I sent a text to Marco: "Plan B. Now."

Whatever happened next, I knew our lives would never be the same.

Luca's POV

The day of my parole hearing dawned bright and clear, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging within me. As I was led into the courtroom, my eyes immediately sought out Valentina. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, but there was a fire in her gaze that took my breath away.

When she spoke to the parole board, her voice strong and unwavering, I felt a surge of pride so intense it nearly brought me to my knees. This woman, this incredible force of nature, was fighting for me, for us. In that moment, I swore to myself that if I got out, I would spend every day of my life being worthy of her love.

As we waited for the board's decision, my mind raced with plans and possibilities. I'd spent my time in prison not just reforming myself, but also reimagining my empire. I had ideas – legitimate businesses, community programs, ways to use our influence for good. But first, I had to get out.

The wait was excruciating. Every creak of a door, every footstep in the hall, sent my heart racing. And then, finally, we were called back in.

I stood before the board, my face a mask of calm even as my pulse pounded in my ears. The head of the board, a stern-faced woman with steel-gray hair, fixed me with a penetrating stare.

"Mr. Moretti," she began, "your case has been... unusual, to say the least."

I held my breath, feeling the weight of my past pressing down on me.

"However," she continued, "we cannot ignore the remarkable progress you've made during your incarceration, nor the compelling case made for your rehabilitation and the positive impact you could have upon release."

My heart leaped. Was this really happening?

"Therefore, it is the decision of this board to grant your parole, effective immediately."

The room erupted in a flurry of movement and sound, but I remained frozen, the words echoing in my head. Free. I was free.

As the reality sank in, I turned to Valentina, ready to sweep her into my arms. But the look on her face stopped me cold. Her eyes were wide with fear, darting around the room as if searching for unseen threats.

Before I could question her, I felt a hand on my arm. It was my lawyer, ushering me towards the exit. "We need to move quickly," he muttered. "There's a car waiting."

As we hurried through the courthouse, a sense of unease grew in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong. This wasn't the triumphant homecoming I'd imagined.

We burst out of the building into the bright sunlight, and I saw Marco waiting by a sleek black car, his posture tense and alert.

"Boss," he said, relief evident in his voice. "We need to go. Now."

As I slid into the backseat, Valentina right behind me, I finally allowed myself to ask the question that had been burning on my tongue.

"What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

Valentina's hand found mine, squeezing tightly. "The Colombos," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They were planning to... to make sure you never made it out."

The implications of her words hit me like a physical blow. The Colombos. Of course. In my focus on redemption, I'd almost forgotten the brutal realities of the world I'd left behind.

As Marco peeled away from the curb, tires squealing, I pulled Valentina close, my mind already shifting gears. The game had changed yet again, and the stakes were higher than ever.

"Tell me everything," I said, my voice hard with resolve. "It's time to end this, once and for all."

As Valentina began to speak, laying out all that had happened in my absence, I felt a familiar fire igniting within me. The world thought Luca Moretti had gone soft in prison. They were about to learn how wrong they were.

Let them come, I thought, holding Valentina closer. I have something worth fighting for now.