Chapter 11 - THE DAWNING SUN
"I stopped pretending the night you broke that glass to save my life," Lorenzo whispered, his hands sliding down to rest on my waist. He dropped to one knee on the Persian rug, pulling a velvet box from his jacket. Inside was a ring—not the massive, gaudy diamond from the summit, but a delicate, intricate band woven with a single pink sapphire.
"The pink is for Lily," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Because she will always be a part of you, and you are a part of me. I don't want a fake engagement to protect my empire. I want a real marriage to protect my heart. Stay with me. Be my wife. Be Leo's mother."
Tears spilled over my lashes, but this time, they were tears of absolute joy. I nodded, pulling him up into a desperate, passionate kiss. We were married in the estate's private gardens in the spring, surrounded by loyal friends and a babbling, happy Leo. Out of the darkest tragedy, I had found a love forged in fire, a family that could never be broken, and a sanctuary that would last a lifetime.
