Chapter 9 - THE APOLOGY
Three weeks later, I sat on the terrace of the safehouse, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, watching the ocean. The physical recovery had been agonizing, but the poison was finally purged from my system. The emotional wounds, however, were still raw.
I heard the slide of the glass door. Alessandro stepped out. He looked exhausted, carrying the weight of a war he had just won in the shadows. He didn't come too close, respecting the boundary I had silently drawn since I woke up in the clinic.
“It is finished,” he said quietly. “Lucchese is exiled. The families are at peace. Marco is... gone. You are safe, Siena. Truly safe.”
I looked at him, this beautiful, dangerous man I loved, who lived in a world where survival required ruthless arithmetic.
“You sacrificed me, Alessandro. Even if it was an accident. Your first instinct in danger was a tactical move that used my life as a shield.”
He closed his eyes, the pain on his face undeniable. “My first instinct was blind panic, Siena. I thought I was taking the poisoned plate for myself. I thought the girl meant my specific dessert. If I had known... I would have eaten them both to save you.”
He walked forward and dropped to his knees on the wooden deck, taking my hands.
“I am leaving the life,” he said, the words shocking me to my core.
I stared at him. “What?”
“I have handed the operations to my cousins in Chicago. I kept the legitimate shipping businesses. No more shadows. No more bodyguards at dinner. No more paranoia. I nearly lost you because of the world I live in. I will not let that happen again.”
May you like
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Inside was a simple, stunning diamond ring. Not a mafia king’s gaudy jewel, but a promise of a quiet life.
“Marry me, Siena. As a normal man.”
