Chapter 10 - ASHES TO EMPIRES
The transition of power was swift and bloody. In the weeks that followed, Nikolai consolidated his rule, purging the syndicates of anyone loyal to Julian or the Volkovs. I was by his side through it all, not as a silent ornament, but as his confidante. I helped restructure the legitimate fronts, turning the family’s dirty money into invincible corporate empires. I was feared, respected, and entirely his.
One evening, as I was reviewing contracts in the study, Nikolai walked in, locked the heavy doors, and gently pulled the pen from my hand. He pulled me up from the desk and backed me against the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering city.
“The war is over,” he murmured, burying his face in the crook of my neck, his lips blazing a trail of fire across my skin. “The city is ours. But there is one piece of business left unresolved.”
I gasped softly as his hands roamed down my waist. “Oh? And what is that, Don Moretti?”
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He pulled back, reaching into his tailored pocket. He didn't pull out the gaudy, ostentatious diamond we had used for our fake engagement. Instead, he opened a velvet box to reveal a stunning, flawless emerald cut diamond surrounded by deep red rubies—a ring that spoke of blood, loyalty, and fierce, burning love. “That night in the hallway, I asked you for a bargain,” Nikolai said, dropping to one knee, looking up at me with an intensity that stopped my heart. “Tonight, I am asking for your life, your heart, and your soul. No contracts. No politics. Just you and me, ruling this world together. Marry me, Evelyn. For real this time.”
Tears finally fell, not of sorrow, but of absolute joy. “Yes,” I whispered, pulling him up by his lapels. “Yes, Nikolai.”
